Ranil's Thoppigala statement sweet music to Prabhakaran - UNP (D-Group)

Ramani Kangaraarachchi

COLOMBO: UNP Democratic Group member R. A. D. Sirisena said Ranil Wickremesinghe's statement yesterday on the capture of the LTTE stronghold Thoppigala by the Security Forces was a statement that should have ideally emanated from Velupillai Prabhakaran.

He apologised on behalf of the UNP Democratic group for the statement of the UNP Leader underestimating the achievement by the Security Forces at a press briefing held at Seth Sevana, Kirulapone yesterday.

He said that some frustrated politicians are trying to make a living by making vociferous noises about abductions but after the Government intervened to probe the matter their shouting has stopped following the disclosure that these were fabricated stories. Similarly, the story about selling 60,000 acres of land to foreigners from Wellassa is also a fabrication, he said.

Minister of Parliamentary Affairs M. H. Mohamed said that the Indian Peace Keeping Force launched a massive attack to defeat the LTTE in Thoppigala and failed. But our Sri Lankan Security Forces made it a reality. Now it is a matter of developing that area, holding Provincial Council Elections and empowering the public.

The Minister of Plantation Crops Development R. M. Dharmadasa Banda also spoke.