News
Aragalaya group behind project to cause religious disharmony – Ranatunga
Chief Government Whip and Minister Prasanna Ranatunga has alleged that those who planned to kill the then President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa during last year’s protest campaign are behind the ongoing efforts to cause religious disharmony.
The same lot would try to cause ethnic tensions in case their attempts to trigger religious violence, through derogatory and inflammatory statements, failed, Ranatunga said.
He said said so yesterday (31) after paying a floral tribute to the statue of his late father, Reggie Ranatunga at Udugampola, Gampaha. The Minister was responding to questions raised by journalists covering the event.
The media, too, should be mindful of the developments taking place in the country, Minister Ranatunga said, demanding the exposure of those who funded the so-called public protest campaign. The Minister said that those who had backed violent public protest campaign now inspired chaos by either propagating lies or throwing their weight behind the group responsible for derogatory and inflammatory declarations.
The Minister recalled the role played by a section of the Maha Sangha, and some artistes, in the protest campaign that forced President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to quit office last July.
Asked whether the government wasn’t concerned about international reaction to crackdown on those expressing controversial views, Minister Ranatunga declared they never practiced what they preached.
Fort Magistrate Thilina Gamage on May 28 ordered Natasha Edirisooriya , who was arrested for allegedly insulting the Buddhist religion in a comedy programme called “Modabhimana” be remanded until 07 June. She was taken into custody at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA).
The police are also awaiting the return of Jerome Fernando who flew out to Singapore last month before police could question him over some derogatory and inflammatory statements.
The Chief Government Whip responded to several other questions, including the recent arrest of Puttalam District MP Ali Sabri Raheem at the BIA while trying to smuggle in three and half kilos of undeclared gold.
Minister Ranatunga said that the government didn’t interfere in MP Raheem’s case. The Minister pointed out that MP Raheem voted against the government motion to sack the Chairman of the Public Utilities Commission Janaka Ratnayake after having accused the government of not coming to his rescue.
Customs fined him Rs. 7.4 mn and confiscated the undisclosed gold. Responding to another query, Minister Ranatunga said that MP Raheem was punished for what he did.
Minister Ranatunga said that the government would take appropriate actions as regards lawmakers accused of violations of law. The Chief Government Whip said so when the media sought an explanation regarding State Minister Arundika Fernando’s intervention to secure the release of the Chinese national who tried to enter Sri Lanka on a forged passport (SF)
The nominations for the appointments of three new Ambassadors and a new High Commissioner have been approved by the Committee on High Posts of Parliament.
The Committee on High Posts approved the nomination of Dharshana Mahendra Perera as the High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to Malaysia, the nomination of Dassanayake Mudiyanselage Sumith Priyantha Dassanayake as the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, Dayani Mendis as the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the Republic of Austria, and for the nomination of Samantha Priyadarshana Weerasinghe Pathirana as the Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Romania.
The Credit Information Bureau of Sri Lanka (CRIB) has become the first Corporate Partner of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) for 2026, marking the launch of BASL’s newly introduced Corporate Partner Scheme, the BASL stated.
The text of BASL statement: “The partnership was formalised by signing a Memorandum of Understanding at the BASL Secretariat. The event was attended by Mr. Rajeev Amarasuriya, President of BASL; Mr. Pasindu Silva, Treasurer of BASL; Mr. Pushpike Jayasundera, Director/General Manager of CRIB, Mr. Janaka Lakmal, Deputy General Manager of CRIB, and Ms.Saumya Wijesinghe, Manager Legal of CRIB, together with other office-bearers and officials.
BASL represents over 26,000 legal professionals across 93 regional branches, providing a strong platform to engage legal practitioners nationwide. Through this initiative, CRIB and BASL will conduct in-person awareness programmes and webinars, focusing on credit information systems, CRIB’s services, and the Secured Transactions Registry (STR), in line with CRIB’s national campaign “We Care for Your Credit Health.”
Speaking at the event, President BASL Mr. Rajeev Amarasuriya stated that the Corporate Partner Scheme reflects BASL’s commitment to reach out to different sectors and collaborate in areas of mutual benefit to the respective organisations.
General Manager of CRIB, Mr. Pushpike Jayasundera noted that CRIB sees this as an important opportunity to enhance understanding in the legal sector of credit information and secured transactions.
The inclusion of CRIB as BASL’s first Corporate Partner underscores BASL’s efforts to support a more informed and future-ready legal profession.”
Arrangements have been made to ordain two boys in commemoration of the 50th birthday of Venerable Ambaliyadde Sangharatana Nayaka Thero, at a ceremony scheduled to be held today (15) at the Sri Bharathi Kusumachethiyarama Pirivena, Peradeniya.
Venerable Ambaliyadde Sangharatana Nayaka Thero is the Principal of Panideniya Sri Bharathi Vidyayathana, the District Sangha Supervisor of the Northern Sangha Council of the Sri Lanka Ramanna Maha Nikaya, Chief Prelate of the Sri Bharathi Kusumachethiyarama Moolika Pirivena, and a recipient of the Sasana Seva Vibhushana honour, as well as a scholar and Pandit.
The two boys to be ordained are Heman Sankalpa Ranawira of Unantanna, Hanguranketha, and Pamindu Bhanuka Wijerathna of Embilipitiya.
Heman Sankalpa Ranawira, born on May 16, 2013, is the second son of Kekulandara Mudiyanselage Gedera Wijerathna Banda and Hewage Sumithra Jayanthi, residents of No. 23, Unantenna, Hanguranketha.
Pamindu Bhanuka Wijerathna, born on May 17, 2013, is the second son of Ranawira Kankanamge Chaminda Kumara and Chamila Niroshani, residents of Embilipitiya.
Following the ordination ceremony, an alms were offered to (dana ) to 59 monks A series of religious observances are scheduled to be held within the premises of the Kusumachethiyarama Pirivena to mark the event.
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High Posts Committee approves nomination of three Ambassadors and High Commissioner
Bourse trading reaches remarkable heights; turnover exceeds Rs. 9 billion
CRIB becomes corporate partner of BASL
Nayaka Thero’s 50th birthday marked by ordination ceremony
Showery condition over the island is expected to reduce from tomorrow (15th)
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