The Hon. Presiding Member

¶ 01 Hon. Member, what is the Government’s answer to that? Ten or fifteen minutes ago, what did the Minister in charge of the Police say? That a group from underworld organizations committed the act, and that the said lawyer appears on behalf of organized criminals. This is the Government’s answer. We want to ask about this. Hon. Harshana Nanayakkara, the Minister of Justice, is also a lawyer. He too has a history. We can also say things about his patrons. I will not say that, out of respect for the legal profession. If that is so, then he too would have relied on organized criminals. Ask him. You loudly championed those you arranged to fly down on a plane—did you not appear for them? But that is his profession, his job. We do not challenge that. What are you doing, however? After the lawyer was murdered, you attempt to completely justify the killing, pinning it on organized criminals. This clearly implies that the Government stands behind certain organized criminal gangs. Whether it is controlled from Pelawatte, the Presidential Secretariat, or the Prime Minister’s Office, we do not know.

¶ 02 The Prime Minister went to Mannar. What did she say there? That the war was not fought after asking her. Then what about 1988–89? Were those events carried out after asking? There was a war. There was terrorism. That is over now. If you continue to stoke nationalism, cling to that side, and toy with the hearts of people, that is not fair.

¶ 03 Hon. Member, you have two more minutes.