AJITH SIRIWARDANA 
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Video: The protesters attacked us, we retaliated: Mangala
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United National Party (UNP) parliamentarian Mangala Samaraweera today said his supporters attacked those who took part in last Saturday’s protest march against the UNP leadership in retaliation.
“I admit that my supporters attacked the protestors at Matara. It happened because my supporters were first attacked while they were carrying out a peaceful walk. Matara people are never known to turn back or run away. My supporters were only reacting to being attacked by the protestors,” he said.
Mr. Samaraweera told a news conference that the conspiracy to conceal the truth behind the Matara attack was not confined to the state media and some private media institutions but it was happening in parliament as well.
“I pointed out in parliament that the state media, even more than private media, are responsible to report the truth to the people. But the state media is trying to suppress the truth behind the Matara attack.
I mentioned that 11 PSD personnel in civvies had taken part in the armed protest march held in Matara. I even tabled a letter and a PSD cadre’s photograph published in a newspaper. I obtained an audio tape of my speech in parliament but my mention of the PSD presence at the protest march had been erased from the tape. I complained to the acting general secretary of parliament that this was illegal and contrary to parliamentary traditions.
This action alone proves that the government was behind this attack. The acting general secretary agreed to look into the matter only after I told him that I will refer this matter to the Commonwealth Parliamentary Council,” Mr. Samaraweera said. (Ajith Siriwardana)
Video by Pradeep Pathirana
Pix by Pradeep Pathirana
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