Dinesh Gunawardena was under the impression this govt would fall apart: Min. Senaratne

Here are some of the views expressed at the Cabinet media briefing held on Wednesday, November 23.

Joint Cabinet Spokesperson Min. Dr. Rajitha Senaratne said:

Dinesh Gunawardena was always under the impression that this government would fall apart at any moment. But now he knows that it won’t and that even the budget proposal was passed by 162 votes, which is a two thirds majority. Therefore, after it was passed Dinesh Gunawardena realised that him saying that the government will collapse won’t work. So, now, various thoughts are running through his mind.

“I guess he might have seen it like a movie in his head and thought to himself when he woke up in the morning that someone actually did say this and he has even told Bandula Gunawardane that something of this sort is happening”, he added, “Well there is nothing of that sort within the Army. I even met the Army Commander and everyone said that nothing of that nature will ever happen in the country”.

He went on to note, the matter of extremism was broadly discussed in the Cabinet and that under the patronage of the President and Prime Minister, a council will be established together with a few presidential secretaries, who worked for the activities of good governance, for the purpose of recommending what measures and what legal reforms must be made to tackle extremist statements and campaigns against other religions.

Journalists also raised questions on a recent statement made by Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe alleging that there are groups in Sri Lanka connected to the Islamic state group or ISIS.

In response, Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne said “I asked the State Ministry of Defence and the President who is the Defence Minister of this country, regarding the statement that was made on IS. There is no such report in a defence sector”.

Dinesh Gunawardena was under the impression this govt would fall apart: Min. Senaratne

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