Mano urges focus on worsening North situation, not Vijayakala

• Says law and order in the North is rapidly deteriorating 
• Urges politicos not to use Vijayakala’s statement for political advantage in South
• Says Vijayakala made an “immature” and “emotional” statement

Dismissing the controversial statement made by State Minister Vijayakala Maheswaran as emotional and immature, National Integration, Reconciliation and Official Languages Minister Mano Ganesan yesterday urged focus on the real issue of the increasing lawlessness in the North.

“What we should be doing now is not discussing Vijayakala Maheswaran’s statement but the total breakdown of law and order in Jaffna,” he said.

“Vijayakala Maheswaran had a problem in choosing the right words. She is immature. After listening to what she said in Tamil I understand that she spoke very emotionally as an MP from the North and a mother and a woman. She expressed her frustration in the total breakdown of law and order in Jaffna. A small girl has been sexually abused and such incidents have increased, drug abuse is increasing and sword-wielding gangs are roaming freely. The Police has not done their duty. The Police should bear the responsibility,” he told the Daily FT. “As a Minister of this Government I am ashamed.”

However, he also said the Government alone could not be blamed as law implementation had to be done by the Police Department as well.

“The Government is good in several areas, but law and order is not one of them unfortunately,” he said.

Repeating words allegedly uttered by Galagoda Atte Gnanasara Thera praising the LTTE leader during his infamous visit to Ganesan’s ministry, the Minister said that statements similar to that of Maheswaran’s had been made before too, pointing out the real issue was the breakdown of law and order in a post-war community.

However, he was also quick to point out that he did not share the views expressed by the State Minister.

“I don’t accept what Vijayakala Maheswaran said nor do I take it seriously,” he said, assuring that there would not be any revival of the former terrorist group in Jaffna.

“The LTTE is now a matter of the past and is history. People of the North and East have given that up. So don’t use Vijayakala Maheswaran’s immature statement for political gains in the South,” he urged.