Mujibur hospitalised due to police attack demands Parliament intervention

Former UNP MP Mujibur Rahuman yesterday (2) alleged that the police had deliberately targeted Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) leader Sajith Premadasa, MP, and party seniors during last Tuesday’s protest in Colombo.

Rahuman, who collapsed during a water cannon and tear gas attacks, told The Island that he had received treatment at the National Hospital, Colombo.The Parliament should inquire into the conduct of the police as the Wickremesinghe-Rajapaksa government was sure to depend on police to suppress forthcoming protest campaigns, the ex-Colombo District MP said.

The Parliamentary Sectoral Oversight Committee on National Security chaired by Rear Adm. (Retd.) Sarath Weerasekera and the Human Rights Commission should look into the excessive use of force against political protests, Rahuman said.

The former UNP MP said that President Ranil Wickremesinghe couldn’t absolve himself of the responsibility for disrupting the recent SJB protest though Tiran Alles functioned as Public Security Minister.

The police wouldn’t have responded to the SJB protest the way they did last Tuesday if not for direct political directives to disrupt it at any cost, Rahuman said.The SJBer urged the international community to exert pressure on the government not to resort to such outright bullying tactics (SF)