{"id":172196,"date":"2017-01-03T10:46:45","date_gmt":"2017-01-03T05:16:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?p=172196"},"modified":"2017-01-08T14:46:40","modified_gmt":"2017-01-08T09:16:40","slug":"bbs-mr-accusing-each-other-who-is-responsible-for-the-anti-muslim-attacks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/bbs-mr-accusing-each-other-who-is-responsible-for-the-anti-muslim-attacks\/","title":{"rendered":"BBS & MR Accusing Each Other: Who Is Responsible For The Anti-Muslim Attacks !"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Lukman Harees<\/a><\/span> –<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Lukman<\/a>

Lukman Harees<\/p><\/div>\n

In a classic case of pot calling the kettle black, during an interesting Press interview given by BBS, its\u2019 spokesman Dilanthe Withanage<\/span><\/a> let the cat out of the bag . In response to the accusations made by MR to BBC Sinhala Service, regarding the role played inter-alia by BBS<\/span><\/a> in contributing to his defeat at the January 2015 Presidential Elections by engaging in anti-Muslim violence, Dilantha pointed out that they have evidence that it was people associated with Mahinda Rajapaksa<\/span><\/a> who were responsible for Aluthgama and fashion Bug attacks . He further stated that it was precise the reason why there were no arrests made while making another tongue-in-the-cheek assertion that BBS have never been associated with or provoked any Anti Muslim violence. Very likely the journalists present may have enjoyed the joke and even wished they replay the recording of Ven. Galagoda Atte Gnanasara<\/span><\/a>\u2019s speeches specially the venomous and hate filled barks prior to Fashion Bug arson attack and Aluthgama mini-1983 style communal violence .<\/p>\n

It was an open secret that BBS received wide state sponsorship through the agency of the powerful Gotabaya Rajapaksa<\/span><\/a>, then secretary of the Defence Ministry during MR regime which encouraged them to operate without fear or sanction wherever they wished- whether government offices, way side meetings or on the streets. Dilantha as per local news reports, admitted that MR did attend one of the Sena\u2019s meetings initially, but added it was his brother Gota who \u201cunderstood our intentions better\u201d. When public opinion turned against BBS after the anti-Muslim riots in 2014, Dilanthe further claimed that Gota helped the group. \u201cWe know him very well. He collected the right information from the army intelligence that favoured us\u201d. \u201cThen Presidential candidate Sirisena had largely kept silent about BBS during the elections. But we had to campaign against him as his manifesto directly attacked BBS and its alleged religious terrorism\u201d.<\/p>\n