Rishad warns BBS to apologise for defamation or face lawsuit

Wednesday, 26 March 2014 00:52 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Sends $ 3.8 million Letter of Demand
Says no Arab colony in Mannar-Wilpattu

A Letter of Demand (LoD) seeking $ 3.8 million (Rs. 500 million) in compensation began its journey towards Sri Lanka’s Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) organisation on 25 March as Minister of Industry and Commerce Rishad Bathiudeen voiced that he has been the target defamatory statements by the BBS. “In the aftermath of the war, thanks to President Mahinda Rajapaksa, we Muslims were looking forward to a new beginning. But we are facing newer problems,” said Minister Bathiudeen on 25 March. Minister Bathiudeen, who is also the leader of All Ceylon Makkal Congress, was addressing a press briefing held in Colombo. Also present along with him were Secretary, All Ceylon Makkal Congress Y.L.S. Hameed, former Minister and member All Ceylon Makkal Congress Ameer Ali as well as All Ceylon Makkal Congress Northern Province Provincial Councillor P. Jayathilleke, among others. Minister Bathiudeen’s LoD is addressed to Reverend Galagodawatte Gnanasara Thero, Secretary General of BBS. “After more than 20 years, these Muslim IDPs are not resettled yet. Many Mosques and Muslim schools in their places of origin stand destroyed. We do not get any support from anyone in this resettlement. Meanwhile, I have been wrongly accused of destruction of the Wilpattu National Park, creating an exclusive Muslim Zone from Wilpattu to Mannar and creating an ‘Arab colony’ in Sri Lanka in the Mannar – Wilpattu area,” said Minister Bathiudeen, and added: “These are clearly defamatory. And they are intended to create anti-Muslim feelings. I demand an apology for these false statements from BBS and if no apology is made to me or no retraction is made in the next two weeks, I ask BBS for $ 3.8 million in compensation. If no compensation is made, then I will institute legal proceedings.” All Ceylon Makkal Congress Northern Provincial Councillor P. Jayathilleke, addressing the press briefing, said: “I am a Sinhala Buddhist and I have been working with Minister Bathiudeen’s All Ceylon Makkal Congress for a long time. I have been elected as an All Ceylon Makkal Congress Provincial Council MP from Vavuniya. All Ceylon Makkal Congress has members from all religions. The BBS accusations against Minister Bathiudeen are clearly wrong.”