Ranil deprived Southerners their democratic rights - Minister Dullas Allahapperuma

Chaminda PERERA

The People in the Southern Province have identified the UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe as a person who acted against them. The Southerners hold a deep conviction that Ranil Wickremesinghe is a leader who deprived them of their democratic rights, said Transport Minister Dullas Allahapperuma.

The Minister said the UNP leader was accused of running a detention camp at Batalanda where thousands of youths in the South were tortured during the insurrection of 1988- 89. This perception has been instilled in the minds of people in the Southern Province since the 1988 -89 insurrection.

The youths in the South were subjected to genocide under the UNP Government led by Opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe and his cronies. He was responsible for changing the balance of power in the Southern Provincial council in 1993 by artificial means.

"He was allegedly involved in the overthrowing of Southern Provincial Council by abducting a councillor Franciscu in 1993" , he said. "Majority of the people in the Southern Province disdain the policies of UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe with contempt and their disgust over his conduct was highlighted in several election results" , the Minister said. Minister Allahapperuma said the people in the Southern Province do not tolerate the various allegations levelled against the leader who was elected by them at the last Presidential election.

"They will not allow other forces to come up in the Southern Province against the President who was born and bred in the Hambantota district which is the heart of the Province" 'he said.

He said the people in Medamulana in the Hambantota district were hurt when the UNP leader referred to the Mahinda Chinthanaya as Medamulana Chinthanaya. The people in the Province irrespective of their political, religious or racial affiliations will stand in support of the Government led by Mahinda Rajapaksa who shed the light of development in the Southern Province.