Chief Prelates of the Malwathu, Asgiri, Amarapura and Ramanya Chapters have written to President Ranil Wickremesinghe seeking a presidential pardon for Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thera.
In March 2024, General Secretary of the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) Gnanasara Thera was sentenced to 04 years of rigorous imprisonment over an inflammatory statement made in 2016.
A case was filed against Ven. Gnanasara Thera for having caused harm to national and religious harmony with his statement on the Kuragala Buddhist Temple, made during a press briefing in Colombo in 2016.
Chief Prelates Venerable Thibbatuwawe Sri Sumangala Thero of the Malwathu Chapter, Venerable Warakagoda Sri Gnanarathana Mahanayake Thero of the Asgiri Chapter, Venerable Karagoda Uyangoda Maithri Murthi Maha Nayaka Thero of Amarapura Nikaya and Venerable Makulewe Wimala Mahanayake Thero of the Ramanya chapters urged President Wickremesinghe to consider granting Gnanasara Thera a Presidential pardon.
Gnanasara Thero’s actions were commended by many and were instrumental in preventing religious and ethnic conflicts, the Prelates said.
Gnanasara Thera who chaired the Presidential Task Force to implement the ‘One Country, One Law’ concept has contributed significantly to ensuring national security and prevented extremism from taking hold, they pointed out.
The Venerable Prelates in their letter to the President requested Wickremesinghe to take note of these contributions and to grant Venerable Gnanasara a Presidential pardon in view of the upcoming Vesak Festival. (Newswire)
