TNA following beaten track of LTTE – Douglas

Chaminda Perera

Tamil National Alliance (TNA) leaders are following in the footsteps of the LTTE in spreading falsehoods about the country. They travel from India to Geneva to concoct stories against the country, Traditional Industries and Small Enterprise Development Minister Douglas Devananda said.

The minister said LTTE leaders were also in the habit of traveling in many countries and cities including Oslo and propagating falsehoods.

“They preferred to tarnish the country’s image through fabricated accounts than solving their problems within the country,” Devananda said.

Speaking at the Jaffna district special development committee meeting at Tilco City Hotel, the minister expressed his dismay on why the TNA was totally blind to the development taking place in the Jaffna district.

“They are traveling from South Africa to North America and from India to Geneva rather than supporting the government’s development endeavour,” he said.

Minister Devananda said there will be no High Security Zones in the Jaffna Peninsula in the future and the presence of military personnel is as equal as in other districts in the country.

“In keeping with the government’s policy, the military will be deployed in the Jaffna district as they are deployed in other districts,” he said.

Devananda said the TNA was intent on driving a wedge between the Security Forces and the people by highlighting military presence in the district.

“They want to instigate violence,” he said.

Minister Devananda said the people have to find a political solution acceptable to all through the Parliamentary Select Committee.

“This solution should be found by us, not outsiders,” he said.

The minister said the northern province was blossoming due to the courageous leadership of President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa.

The LTTE ravaged public and private properties and they did not spare places of religious worship, he said

He said the LTTE began attacking government troops from hospitals too.

The minister said the three pronged approach adopted by the Presidential Task Force on Northern development gave a tremendous impetus to the development of the Northern province including the Jaffna district.