“These vicious elements in the South who were silent when people were brutally killed at the Sri Maha Bodhiya premises in Anuradhapura, when the Sri Dalada Maligawa was bombed, when Muslim worshippers were killed at the Kattankudy mosque and Buddhist monks were killed at Arantalawa are saying that there is no religious freedom in the North.

“The people who are gathered in Galle today in their thousands will vouch to the fallacy of their statements. Today people of this country can go to any religious place in any part of the country and perform their religious rites without any obstruction.“

This was stated by President Mahinda Rajapaksa addressing a mammoth rally held at the Galle Town Wednesday (12). The Galle Town became a wave of blue waves yesterday when the people sporting in blue caps, blue shirts and T-shirts, blue saris and blue frocks gathered to the town in their town from all corners of the Galle district. This was the first UPFA rally held in the Southern Province to ensure the victory of the Galle district UPFA candidates contesting for the Southern Province election.

The President speaking further said that he is confident that the people who loved peace and opposed terrorism and appreciated the development work done by his Government would reply to the anti national treacherous elements who try to destabilize the country by casting their votes in favour of the Government at the forthcoming Provincial Council elections.

The President said that the areas destroyed by the terrorists have been rebuilt, resettled people and have improved their living standards. The country overall, has witnessed unprecedented growth in all areas. He said that the government had implemented a massive development drive systematically, to benefit the people in the country, providing equal facilities and equal opportunities.

He emphasized that the Government had fought against the threat of terrorism and not against a particular ethnic group. He noted that all three communities had lived in unity in other parts of the country, while terrorists used fear to keep the people in the North under their clutches.

The President said that the Provincial Councils have done a lot of service to benefit the people in the area and urged the people to vote for the ‘Betel Lea’ symbol to usher in a UPFA led council again to sustain the momentum of the ongoing progress.(niz)