'Ranil should be ashamed talking of 'land rights' now'

Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe who could not even sight Jaffna during his time to sign the ceasefire agreement which betrayed the Armed Forces is now able to go there and even stage satyagraha campaign because the government has been able to stabilize peace in the area, Western Province Chief Minister Prasanna Ranatunge said.

Chief Minister Prasanna Ranatunge handing over an appointment letter to a new recruit. Western Province Governor Alavi Movlana, Provincial Council Member Hector Bethmage, Chief Secretary Jayanthi Wijetunge and Chief Minister’s Private Secretary Pradeep Wijeratnasekara are also in the picture. Picture by Colombo Central Group corr

He would ask Ranil Wickremesinghe whether he had no shame to perform satyagraha for land rights when he did not utter a word for the land rights of Sinhalese and Muslims who were driven away from their homelands in the North and East by the LTTE terrorists during their notorious ethnic cleansing programme in the past.

The Chief Minister was addressing a meeting at the Colombo New Town Hall to mark the presentation of appointment letters to a batch of 276 persons recruited to Grade III of the Western Province State Management Assistants Service recently. Chief Minister Ranatunga and Western Province Governor handed over the appointment letters.

The Chief Minister said people in North and East and other areas were enjoying the fruits of freedom and democracy devoid of bomb explosions due to the self sacrifice made by war heroes to liberate the country from terrorism.

Now certain sections were trying to take the President and the Defence Secretary who gave leadership to that humanitarian effort before an international tribunal in league with sinister international forces.

He said more than 10,000 persons had been recruited to the Western Province Public Service since the government assumed power. In contrast the public service was severely pruned during Ranil Wickremesinghe's tenure as Prime Minister and all new recruitments were debarred.

No one could be allowed to destroy the freedom country had gained with great sacrifice.

The new recruits should render an honest and efficient service for the greater good of the nation.