The Minister was addressing the weekly Cabinet briefing yesterday (21st June) at the Department of Government Information.

Minister Rajitha Senaratne responding to allegations that there was a plot to wipe out the Sinhala race said these accusations were baseless.

“The complaints that doctors are trying to make the Sinhala or Muslim race barren is nothing but lies. Any gynecologist gives advice to a mother of a number of children she could comfortably have without having any health implications, while also not affecting the economy of the family. If the parents cannot feed all their children properly, we have issues of malnutrition,” the Health Minister said.

“There is a certain system followed by doctor’s when parting such advice. It is part of the government’s family planning program of ‘Punchi Pawula Raththaran’ (the small family is golden,” he added.

Senaratne further stressed that there was no chance of ethnic violence breaking out in the country as the President and the Prime Minister have decreed that rigorous imprisonment without bail should be instituted for such incidents.

Meanwhile, Police Spokesman DIG Priyantha Jayakody said arresting a Buddhist leader and politically linked monk is totally different to arresting a layman.  He was explaining as to why the four teams deployed to arrest Ven. Galagodaaththe Gnanasara Thera failed to do so.

DIG Jayakody explained that even if the teams found the Bodu Bala Sena leader’s hideouts, they could not search a temple due to cultural reasons, “We can easily get a warrant to check a civilian place but it is different when it comes to checking a temple. There are cultural conflicts,” he said.

He however added that the recent surrender was due to Police pressure exerted on the monk. (CDN)