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| Friday, 24 October 2003 |
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| PA MP Puthrasigamani ditches party by Bharatha Malawaraarachchi and Ranil Wijayapala People's Alliance Parliamentarian V.Puthrasigamani yesterday abandoned his party and sat with the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) opposition in Parliament over the President's failure to halt today's PA protest campaign coinciding with the Hindu Deepavali festival. Making a statement in the House following his shift to the TNA ranks, the member in an impassioned speech, bemoaned the President's failure to put a stop to the protest demonstration ignoring the voice of the Hindu community. "Can I any longer remain in a party which deliberately violates the fundamental rights of the minority people - it is my religion and my people that are being harassed due to this kind of unwarranted demonstration,' he voiced with desperate. The member said he who was a former UNPer, joined the PA hoping that the President and PA would take to heart the problems of the Tamils and address their grievances. It is extremely regrettable that in the very first Deepavali celebration after the new batch of estate Tamils gained citizenship, they had to face this insult. "It is a shame that the President was unable to stop this sacrilege during one of the most important festivals sacred to the Hindu community," he said. He hit out at the PA for resorting to cheap gimmicks like protest campaigns at a time when efforts are being made to address the Tamils' grievances and bring peace to the country. He accused the PA of trying to disrupt the Government's peace initiative. " Today there is peace in the country and our people are now living in a free atmosphere. The PA wants to derail the peace process and put the Tamil people in jeopardy." "I tried my best to prevent this demonstration - but my efforts have failed. Is this the way you are trying to ensure the rights of the Tamil people. This demonstration is a disgrace upon the Tamil community." The member questioned as to how the PA would resolve the problems of the minorities. "Is this the way you are going to treat them?" Puthrasigamani, a UNP MP in the last Parliament, joined the PA on the eve of the December 2001 Parliament elections and was appointed on the National List. He was a member of the breakaway CWC faction and Trade Union leader of the plantation community. |
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