The Prime Minister further stated that the eviction should never have taken place and that steps are taken to find out the officials who had been responsible for such actions. He also assured that such actions would not take place in the future.

It is none other than Hon. Jeyaraj Fernado Pulle, who is responsible for triggering off the present controversy. At a press meeting summoned by him, Minister Fernado Pulle stated that there was no need to express regret over the eviction of Tamils from Colombo lodges.

He further stated that the police obtained verbal consent from the Tamils in the lodges before they were taken to Vavuniya and that later in Vavuniya, a written consent was obtained from them.

In contrast, Prime Minister Wickremanayake rejected the explanation given by Victor Perera, the Inspector General of Police, that the Tamils volunteered to be evicted. In fact, Mr.Wickremanayike stated that the police obtained the consent only after the Tamils were taken to Vavuniya.

Mr.Fernado Pulle stated that his views were only his personal views but Anura Priyatharshan Yapa, the Media Minister, stated that Mr.Fernado Pulle‘s views are his personal views and that the Prime Minister’s views reflected only the government’s stand.

Hasn’t it struck the mind of Fernado Pulle that he was expressing a personal opinion in public before the press, contradicting a stand taken by the government and categorically expressed through the Prime Minister -Mr.Wickremanayke-that evacuation of the Tamils was a mistake and he was apologizing to the Tamil people on behalf of the government.

Is it not a matter of mockery for Minister Fernado Pulle, to have made such a statement? If each responsible minister expresses divergent views in public on sensitive issues such as this matter, where is the collective responsibility of the government? It will be ridiculous.

Finally we pose one question to Hon.Jeyaraj Fernando Pulle.

To satisfy whom and upon whose instigation, did you express this view hurting the feelings of the Tamil people, who have already been humiliated?

An English translation of the Editorial in Thinakkural, a Tamil daily, based in Colombo.

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