Ariyanethran denies reports of summons by TID

Thursday, 24 October 2024 00:18 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Former Member of Parliament

P. Ariyanethran

Former Member of Parliament P. Ariyanethran, who ran as the Common Tamil Candidate in the September Presidential election, has denied media reports that he received a summons from the Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) of the Sri Lanka Police.

Ariyanethran clarified that he had not been contacted via telephone or any other means to appear before the TID for questioning, refuting claims made in recent media reports.

His denial follows a report published on Tuesday, which alleged that Ariyanethran, along with his campaign supporters, had been summoned by the TID for interrogation. The report, quoting Rajkumar Rajeevkanth of the People’s Struggle Alliance (PSA), claimed that the investigation was focused on the sources of Ariyanethran’s campaign funding, raising concerns about the scrutiny placed on his finances. According to the report, Rajeevkanth had made these claims while addressing a rally in Colombo recently.

Rajeevkanth was quoted as criticising President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s administration, where he said it was ironic that similar investigations were not conducted for other political campaigns, including that of Dissanayake, despite receiving overseas funding. “The Anura Kumara Dissanayake Government had promised to repeal the Prevention of Terrorism Act. Yet, just weeks into power, the TID has sent letters regarding election financing to Ariyanethran,” Rajeevkanth had said.

Ariyanethran, however, has categorically dismissed these claims, insisting he has not been summoned by the TID.

The PSA, which includes members of the Front Line Socialist Party (FLSP), a breakaway faction of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), is now pushing to enter Parliament, representing activists from the 2022 protest movement.