FISHERIES MINISTER EXPLAINS ABOUT HIS ABSENCE

Why didn’t you (Minister) attend the fisherman’s funeral at Chilaw?

“Ministers are not there to attend funerals. Those protests were not organized by the fishermen…but by some bandits.”
Minister of Fisheries-Rajitha

In a media conference, the question was raised as to why the Minister of Fisheries, Rajitha Senaratne did not attend the funeral of the fisherman Anthony Fernando at Chilaw which traumatized the whole country.
In answer to the question, Rajitha Senaratne stated:
“Ministers are not there to attend funerals, weddings and puberty ceremonies…As the Minister of Fisheries, I know what to do when something happens.
Those protests were conducted by bandits, thugs and those in the in the underworld… they attacked the Police with swords and wooden bars… they ran off when the Police were attacking them in turn… yet the innocent fishermen did not know how to escape…because of that an innocent person supposed to have connections with fishing was killed.
I am approving what the Police did…. Yet such things happen when protests are carried out without proper discipline.
Our Government knows as to who is behind these things… I know very well how such protests are conducted.
If four to five people are collected who can shout well, anyone can organize a protest. "