Milroy praises PM for services to Catholics

by Rohan Mathes

Fisheries and Christian Affairs Minister Milroy Fernando paid tribute to Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse, the UPFA Presidential candidate for the services he rendered to the Catholics without any religious bias specially to the Catholic community in the coastal belt from Colombo to Puttalam, which is predominantly Catholic and also to the Catholics and Christians living in districts such as Gampaha, Kalutara, Colombo and other parts of the country where they live amicably with others.

Addressing the regular 'Dinawamu Sri Lanka' press briefing at the SLFI yesterday, Fernando pointed out that although former UNP Minister Jayalath Jayawardena spoke volumes, it was Rajapakse who constructed a stretch of around 30 KM of the Madhu Church Road, for which the Catholics were very grateful.

Fernando said that Rajapakse had provided electricity to the St. Anthony's Shrine at Wahakotte and reconstructed many churches that were destroyed during the Ranil Wickremesinghe regime. He had also ordered the arrest of culprits responsible for the destruction of churches,but ironically they were released by the then Internal Security Minister John Amaratunga, a Catholic himself.

Fernando strongly expressed his objections to two scurrilous pamphlets circulated at the Sacred City of Talawila St. Anne's Shrine recently, where highly malicious and slanderous statements had been made to discredit the UPFA, in relation to their rapport with the Catholics and the Catholic church.

The contents which have never ever occurred, but stated in these papers, were highly defamatory and contentious. They had been deliberately planted to incite ill-feeling and hatred among Catholics with the UPFA, Fernando added.

Railway Minister Felix Perera endorsed the views expressed by Fernando and said added saying that the Catholics and Christians would not forget the services rendered by the Government.

UPFA Presidential campaign Spokesman Mangala Samaraweera at the media briefing claimed that the UNP was in its desperation of imminent defeat, was distorting facts to deceive and mislead the minority Christian community.

Samaraweera vehemently rejected the propaganda circulated by the UNP, that with the recent inking of pacts with the JVP and JHU by Premier Mahinda Rajapakse, Christians would be harassed and persecuted under his Presidential rule.

"This is a UNP conspiracy to tarnish the exemplary nature of Rajapakse, who is no racist or religious fundamentalist. As a good Buddhist, he will ensure that other faiths are also protected. The Mahinda Rajapakse whom we know for the last 35 years, has never harmed any minority ethnic or religious minority," he stressed.

This assurance, he said, was of special significance as it had been given by him at the foot of the Sri Dalada Maligawa in Kandy, as a devout Buddhist. He has consistently stood out for the rights of the minorities, and never used religion for narrow political gains, nor acted in a manner which would have been detrimental to the minorities.

Samaraweera dismissed allegations that Mahinda Rajapakse had entered into pacts with JHU, to clamp down on unethical conversions. There is no such agreement, he said.