Opposition party members have called for Minister K.D. Lal Kantha to be investigated in matters related to the Batalanda Commission.
Addressing the media, Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) trade union wing spokesman Ananda Palitha displayed a previous press conference of Minister Lal Kantha, during which the latter had made claims of murder during an armed struggle.
Ananda Palitha said Lal Kantha and his party’s patriotism ended in the murders of 147 members of the National Services Association and ordinary citizens.
Also commenting on the Batalanda Commission Report, the General Secretary of the United National Party (UNP), Thalatha Athukorala said that the investigations must first summon Minister K.D. Lal Kantha as a witness.
Speaking during a media briefing, Thalatha Athukorala said Minister Lal Kantha has previously claimed that they have killed informants and persons, including monks, who had given evidence against them.
“A person who has made such claims must be the first to be summoned as a witness. We know that nothing will happen through this Commission. Ranil Wickremesinghe is not in Parliament anymore. Why are they so scared of a single individual?” she questioned.
The Batalanda Commission Report came to the spotlight after former President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s controversial interview with international media, Al Jazeera recently.
Thereafter, the ‘Batalanda Commission Report’ was tabled in Parliament by the government last week.
Addressing the Parliament, the Leader of the House, Minister Bimal Rathnayake said a policy decision has been taken by the Cabinet and President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to take action regarding the Batalanda Commission Report.
Minister Rathnayake further said that a decision has been taken to forward the report to the Attorney General for necessary advice and that the President will appoint a special committee to study the Batalanda Commission report.
The Batalanda Commission was established to investigate allegations of unlawful detention, torture, and extrajudicial killings at the Batalanda Housing Scheme in Sri Lanka between 1988 and 1990, during the JVP insurgency. (Newswire)