Gajendran ordered out of Chamber

Nadira Gunathilaka and Irangika Range

KOTTE: Speaker W.J.M. Lokubandara yesterday ordered TNA MP S. Gajendran to leave the Chamber for not expressing his regret and not withdrawing the statement made by him at the Emergency debate which has violated that terms of the Constitution.

On the orders of the Speaker, S. Gajendran was removed from the Chamber at 12.20 p.m.

Making a special statement JVP MP Wimal Weerawansa said that S. Gajendran has expressed his ideas as a LTTE cadre in his speech at the emergency debate.

He has described the LTTE as having an ‘Our Air Force”, saying it would only attack targets in Sri Lanka and it would never attack India. This violates the 6th Amendment of the Constitution. He also violated the Oath taken by Parliament Members against the division of the country, Weerawansa said.

Weerawansa said S. Gajendran threatened the safety of the people while denigrating the respect of the Chamber. Therefore he must be arrested and action taken against him.

Weerawansa said if normal person made a statement of this nature, he or she would have been arrested and questioned immediately. We should never allow such statements made under the cover of MPs’ privileges.

Gajendran said he did not wish to hurt or threaten the Sinhalese MPs and the public.

Members of the Government, the JVP and the UNP raised their voices against Gajendran, asking him to leave the Chamber till he withdraws his statement.

Gajendran said he never thought this was a big issue. “I have already expressed my ideas and I don’t know whether it was understood properly by members of Parliament.” The Speaker made an order to remove him from the Chamber.

“Though I requested Gajendran several times he ignored it,” The Speaker said. According to the Standing Orders he ordered the MP to leave the Chamber.

At this moment, Sergeant at Arms Anil Samarasekera stepped towards Gajendran and TNA member Chandrahanth Chandraneru escorted Gajendran out of the Chamber. The Speaker adjourned the House for 10 minutes to call for a party leaders meeting to discuss the issue.