Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam responded to Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s calls for an inquiry against him.
Speaking in Parliament yesterday, the Prime Minister cited MP Shanakiyan’s speech on the May 09 unrest, claiming that the MP has endorsed the attacks on the properties of Parliamentarians by unruly mobs.
Questioning how a member of Parliament could make such a statement, Prime Minister Wickremesinghe said MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam must issue an apology and withdraw his statement prior to the end of the Parliament sessions next week.
The Prime Minister further said that in the event he fails to do so, then the Speaker has the power to debate the matter and put it before a committee for an inquiry and thereafter submit a report.
Responding to the claim, TNA MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam said the Prime Minister has made a wrong statement pertaining to him.
Stating that he is submitting a copy of his previous speech to the Parliament, the MP accused the Prime Minister of extracting only a portion of it and making allegations.
MP Shanakiyan pointed out that the Prime Minister had earlier too linked him to the LTTE and to Batticaloa District Parliamentarian and former LTTE member Pillayan.
“I request the six-time Prime Minister not to make such wrong statements. If he is going to make such statements, then we too can start talking about matters such as the Batalanda report,” he responded.
Meanwhile, TNA MP MA Sumanthiran says that Yesterday PM Ranil Wickremesinghe twice broke the parliamentary convention that no other matter is spoken at a condolence vote. (NewsWire)