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| Monday, 08 November 2004 |
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By Chamikara Weerasinghe The convener of National Patriotic Movement, Ven. Elle Gunawansa thera yesterday lashed out at the Jathika Hela Urumaya saying that it has done much damage to the image of bhikku community going against those who voted for them sincerely for a worthy cause. The Ven. Gunawansa thera said, "the monks of the Jathika Hela Urumaya should take the full responsibility for the damage caused." He said that JHU monks went on to act against the advice of the most Ven. Senior Mahanayake theras when they decided to throw themselves into electoral politics forfeiting their position as advisors. "Why enlist yourself among politicians when you can guide them from a higher level from your existing position as their advisors?" he asked. He said he opposed the very idea of Urumaya monks setting up a political party at the outset. " I publicly declared that this would end up in chaos which has now proved itself as what is seen within the JHU today," he explained. Asked about Hela Urumaya's former Secretary Thilak Karunaratne's decision to resign from the party to join the UNP, the Ven. thera said that it meant that Thilak Karunaratne had finished his temporary role of acting as a patriot to join what suits him the best. He also said it was a shame that the Jathika Hela Urumaya had misused Buddhist flags, the Great Bodhi tree and Buddhist terminologies in their political campaigns to achieve political power. |
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