Situation under control – Minister

Issue was mismanaged – Sajith

Dayasiri prevented from raising issue

The removal by the police of a Buddha statue from a famous temple plunged Trincomalee into turmoil, on Sunday. The police stepped in amidst tension over an attempt by the Coast Conservation Department to take action against a building near the Sri Sambuddha Jayanthi Bodhiraja Vihara, in Trincomalee.

The monks of the temple and devotees staged a protest, claiming that they were restoring a Dhamma school building.

Subsequently, the police personnel removed a Buddha statue placed on the disputed site.

SJB MP Dayasiri Jayasekera tried to raise the issue in Palriament on Monday, but he was not given an opportunity to speak. Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa took up the issue, accusing the Speaker of having acted in a partisan manner and prevented MP Jayasekera from bringing a vital issue to the attention of the House.

Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala told the House that the Buddha statue had been removed for its safety and it had been returned to the temple yesterday morning under police protection.

Wijepala said the police had removed the statue after receiving information about possible vandalism, prompting the overnight removal of the statue from the Dhamma school premises. It was returned to the site yesterday morning. He said police had been instructed to maintain calm and enforce a special security plan from today to ensure the statue’s safety.

Minister Wijepala said further action would be taken according to the decision in a court case.

Wijepala said that the Coast Conservation Department had lodged a complaint about an alleged illegal restaurant operating in the same area. The police, he said, would proceed with legal action once a court directive was issued.

The Minister’s explanation drew sharp criticism from Batticaloa District MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam, who accused him of capitulating to nationalist pressure. In a post on X, the MP described the Minister’s justification as a “major U-turn,” arguing that the Tamil community had never targeted places of worship, even during the decades-long conflict.

A video, circulating on social media, shows a Buddhist monk insisting the site is of religious heritage value. However, officials note that the land was under the Coast Conservation Department, which had previously flagged unauthorised activity there.

The Minister said that the situation was under control, with enhanced security measures now in place ahead of the statue’s reinstallation. “Further actions would be taken on the basis of court decisions,” he said.

By Saman Indrajith