It's certainly a shock, but the removal of Ven. Gnanasara Thero's robe is legally correct - Lakshman

Mr. Lakshman Nipunarachchi, Chairman of the Colombo District Development Committee of the National People's Power and Member of Parliament, states that he was deeply shocked by the incident where Venerable Galagodaaththe Gnanasara Thero had to remove his robes after being arrested.

The MP emphasizes that there is no personal animosity from the government behind this incident, pointing out that officials acted in accordance with a court decision given under previously existing legal conditions.

However, Mr. Nipunarachchi admits that the government had no prior understanding of how affairs are conducted within prisons regarding incarcerated monks. The government was prompted to investigate this matter deeply only after the incident involving Gnanasara Thero.

According to those investigations, it has been revealed that sixty-three monks who have been convicted of various crimes and are serving sentences are currently imprisoned. The MP stated that no one, as Buddhists living in a Buddhist country and as ordinary human beings, wishes to see a monk commit a wrong or be imprisoned.

He stated that Gnanasara Thero's radicalism is a separate matter, and that there is a need for a certain degree of radicalism in a monk, clarifying that apart from that, there are no issues with him.

Mr. Lakshman Nipunarachchi further confirmed that the government has already appointed a special committee to examine this sensitive issue, and that necessary legal actions and legislation related to it will be implemented within the next two weeks.
His statement below

“Actually, even we are shocked; he is a monk we know. His radicalism is different. A monk needs to have some radicalism. So, apart from that, we have no problem with the monk we see. However, the court decisions were given under the legal situation that was in effect before. So, actions have been taken according to those court decisions.

Then, even we didn't know how things are handled inside the prison; we only learned about it from this incident. After that, we investigated what was happening. It turns out that sixty-three monks who have been punished are in this prison. So, we are not at all happy about that.

As Buddhists and as a Buddhist country, we don't like that happening. By 'that happening,' we mean we don't even like seeing a monk commit a wrong. As ordinary human beings.  So, actions will be taken within two weeks to enact the necessary legal measures and legislation for this. A committee has now been appointed for that.”