Govt. and JVP clash over allegations of links to violence

• Govt. says JVP instigating protestors to turn violent
• Says preparing for another bloodbath like 89/90 period
• JVP leader categorically denies allegations
• Says President out of touch with reality

Government and JVP led National People party (NPP) MPs clashed in Parliament yesterday over allegations that the members of the JVP had infiltrated the peaceful protests and were instigating them to turn violent.

Chief Government Whip Johnston Fernando led the charge against the JVP alleging that its leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake had incited crowds he spoke to outside Parliament on Tuesday.

“We may be on different sides of the House. We can argue and have differences of opinion, but we have never instigated people to turn violent and attack elected representatives. The JVP is doing that,” Fernando told the House.

He said both in 1971 and 89/90, the JVP had misled the youth of this country which resulted in a bloodbath and there are attempts to do so again.

The JVP leader however categorically denied that the JVP was involved in provoking people.

“All this happened because the man elected President lives in an ivory tower. He does not answer phone calls, he does not allow anyone to speak at the Cabinet meetings, he may be hiding in a bunker somewhere and he does understand the mood of the people,” Dissanayake said.

He added that in 1983 the then Government blamed the JVP for the ethnic riots and proscribed the party and this Government is now trying to enact a similar drama.

“This is not 1983. You can try to enact the same drama, but it will not be successful,” he said.