Commemorating the 13th anniversary of Tamil MP, Thiyagaraja Maheswaran's murder, members of the UNP and supporters gathered in Vaddukoddai constituency office on New Year's Day.
Maheswaran was 41-years-old when he was killed by a gunman whilst praying at the Ponnambala Vaaneasvarar temple at Kochchikkadai in Colombo on New Year’s Day 2008. He had previously served as Minister of Hindu culture and was a politician for the United National Party, the main opposition party at the time of his tenure.
His and his bodyguard’s assassination followed a few hours after he made a public announcement on television of his plans to disclose information on how abductions and killings in Jaffna were managed by the Sri Lankan state through the Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) paramilitary group.
President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s government was blamed for paving the way for the killing by reducing the MP’s Ministerial Security Division guards, from 18 to 2, a few days before the incident after Maheswaran heavily criticised the government and voted against the budget.
During the memorial event, supporters laid a wreath upon a photo of the former minister as well as flowers. In light of the coronavirus regulations, the event took place with a limited number of people.