Minister K.D. Lalkantha says Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thera is a personal friend of his, but that friendship does not place the monk above the law.
Speaking to the media, Lalkantha rejected allegations that the government was deliberately targeting Buddhist monks or attempting to undermine Buddhism.
“Gnanasara Thera is also my friend. But there is a law in this country. We did not make those laws, and he did not end up in this situation because of us,” the Minister said.
He pointed out that Gnanasara Thera had previously been imprisoned under earlier governments, stressing that the current controversy was not the first instance of legal action against the monk.
Lalkantha accused certain opposition groups of exploiting Gnanasara Thera’s situation for political purposes, claiming that the monk had repeatedly been used to advance political agendas.
He questioned why similar concerns had not been raised over other Buddhist monks currently in prison.
The Minister also said President Anura Kumara Dissanayake had already discussed the matter with senior Buddhist religious leaders and expressed the government’s willingness to consider legal reforms.
Lalkantha said he personally opposed the punishment of Buddhist monks in a manner that undermined the dignity of the Buddhist robe.
He maintained that individuals who violate the law should face appropriate punishment, but the religious robe itself should not be subjected to punishment.
The Minister stressed that any changes to the existing legal framework should be made through proper consultation rather than applying different rules to individual cases. (Newswire)
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