Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa has condemned the alleged assault on Buddhist monks protesting at Viharamahadevi Park in Colombo, on Saturday evening, accusing the government of using force against monks chanting pirith.
Accusing the authorities of obstructing access to sanitation facilities and removing temporary shelters used by the protesters, Premadasa has urged President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to ensure the monks’ safety and prevent any threat to religious harmony.
Premadasa issued a media statement following media reports that the police had assaulted Ven. Balangoda Kassapa Thera, one of the monks leading the ongoing protest.
Buddhist monks are staging a Satyagraha, seeking the release of Ven. Glaboda Atte Gnanasara Thera from prison.
Police have denied the assault allegations, saying Ven. Balangoda Kassapa Thera slipped and fell on a concrete step during a confrontation with officers
He thanked the administration of Dewatagaha Mosque for providing sanitation facilities to the protesting monks, describing the gesture as an example of religious coexistence.