By Shamindra Ferdinando

Police spokesperson SSP Nihal Thalduwa says an inquiry has been initiated into an incident involving the police and a group of soldiers near a police road block, on the main road, leading to Parliament, on the evening of Tuesday (05). Attorney-at-Law Thalduwa said that Police Headquarters had received a complaint from Army Commander General Shavendra Silva, who is also the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), regarding the incident. Video footage of the police confronting a four-member team of Army riders, at the road block, amidst a noisy protest, has gone viral on social media, with private television stations, too, telecasting the unprecedented incident.

Although earlier reports said the Army motorcycles had no number plates, yesterday Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka, who is no friend of the government, told Parliament they did have number plates and called for an impartial inquiry.

In an urgent missive to IGP C.D. Wickremaratne, General Silva asked for an inquiry into what he called the ‘unethical and ill-mannered behaviour’ of two Assistant Superintendents of Police. Calling for disciplinary action against them, the Army Chief said that the Army riders arrived at the scene on the directions of the Director Operations, Army HQ.

Defence Secretary General Kamal Gunaratne, too, has taken up the issue with the IGP as well as the Secretary, Law and Order Ministry, Maj. Gen. Jagath Alwis. Gen. Gunarathe has declared that the police officers’ conduct wasn’t acceptable at all. The two ASPs have intervened and at one point another policeman has been captured switching off the ignition of one of the motorbikes. The police contingent deployed at the checkpoint had told their superiors they intervened to prevent a possible flare-up that may have triggered violence.

Since the eruption of public protests at the Pengiriwatte Road, Mirihana residence of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, last Thursday (March 31), Army Commander who is also the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) shifted the Air Mobile Brigade of the 53 Division to Colombo. In addition to the Army, both Army and Air Force have been directed to deploy personnel in support of law enforcement authorities. The Special Task Force (STF), too, has been deployed at selected areas as protesters stepped up pressure on ruling party politicians. Both serving and retired military officers yesterday told The Island that the Office of the CDS should ensure smooth coordination among the armed forces and the police especially against the backdrop of coordinated protests and mob violence directed at the residences of Ministers and State Ministers.

The police said that in spite of repeated provocations they had responded patiently. Five policemen received injuries during violent protests outside Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella’s Kandy residence. They said the possibility of mobs returning to the previously targeted residences couldn’t be ruled out, hence the need to provide security.

State Minister Roshan Ranasinghe alleged in Parliament on Tuesday (05) in spite of him alerting the IGP to an imminent threat posed to his Polonnaruwa residence, the police failed to thwart the attack. Marauding mob caused damages, lawmaker Ranasinghe said, alleging that the Jathika Jana Balavegaya, the Frontline Socialist Party and SLFPers carried out the attack.

SLFP leader Maithripala Sirisena, who was present in Parliament at the time, denied the rival’s accusation totally. Former Public Security Minister Rear Admiral Sarath Weerasekera said that he couldn’t comment on the incident involving the police and army personnel or the current situation, in an official capacity. The Colombo District lawmaker said that such incidents could be quite detrimental to current efforts to curtail violence.

Police and political sources said that Anuradhapura district had been one of the worst affected, where mobs targeted houses and offices of Pohottuwa, SLFP and even Jathika Nidahas Peramuna (JNP) early this week. Protesters also targeted soothsayer Gnana akka’s luxurious home prompting the police deployed there to summon army backup. Sources said that for nearly eight hours protesters targeted homes and offices of five Ministers, State Ministers and an MP. The targeted politicians included State Ministers, Dr. Prof. Channa Jayasumana and Shehan Semasinghe as well as Duminda Dissanayake and Cabinet Minister S.M. Chandrasena and Uddika Premaratne. Sources said that Gnana Akka’s home received much better protection than those of the Members of Parliament.