Speaker appoints committee to probe Diana assault case

• We need to safeguard men’s rights as well

By Yohan Perera 

Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana has appointed a five member committee to probe the alleged assault of State Minister Diana Gamage by a Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP at the lobby yesterday.   
Serjeant-at-Arms Narendra Fernando told Daily mirror that the committee is chaired by Deputy Speaker Ajith Rajapaksa, Former Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa, Gayantha Karunathilaka, Imthiaz Bakeer Markar and Ramesh Pathirana to look into the incident. 

 
The Speaker made this decision after he received complaints from both parties.   

The House went into an uproar when Ms. Gamage informed the chair that she was assaulted by Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Sujith Sanjaya Perera at the lobby. However MP Perera denied the allegation. “I only committed an act of self-defense when Ms. Gamage tried to attack me with her hand bag,” he said.   

“We need to safeguard men’s rights as well. Many talk of women’s rights but it looks like action should be taken to safeguard men’s rights as well,” he added.   

It was reported that the assault was a result of a remark which had been made by MP Rohana Bandara and Perera had got involved in the brawl later.