A Tamil parliamentarian from the National People’s Power (NPP) has publicly refused to resign amidst growing criticism over the party’s handling of the Trincomalee Buddha statue controversy.
Arun Hemachandra, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and NPP MP representing Trincomalee, issued a lengthy statement responding to sustained pressure from Tamil parties who demanded his resignation after the government backtracked on the removal of an unauthorised Buddha statue installed on the coastal reservation.
The MP claimed that certain opposition parliamentarians, who otherwise disagree on almost every political issue, were “suddenly” celebrating the crisis together for their own agendas.
“What struck me most was how certain opposition MPs despite their own political differences suddenly found a reason to celebrate together,” Hemachandra wrote. “This says more about their intentions than about the incident itself.”
He likened their behaviour to “vultures and hyenas,” alleging that the same groups calling for his resignation were engaged in “well-organised mudslinging campaigns.”
“These are the same elements who have been calling for my resignation, spreading misinformation, and dragging my name into their well-organised mudslinging campaigns,” he claimed.
His comments come after widespread anger in the Tamil homeland, over the illegal instalment of the Buddha statue, which is currently receiving police protection. Both Sri Lankan president Anura Kumara Dissanayake and Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala claimed the Trincomalee dispute had already been “resolved,” even though the unauthorised statue was restored to the site and the monks involved faced no consequences.
Tamil MPs, including those from ITAK and the TNPF, said the government’s reversal exposed its unwillingness to curb state-backed Sinhalisation and protect the rights of the Tamil nation in the North-East.
Hemachandra dismissed these criticisms and said he would continue in his position.
“I remain committed to serving this country with clarity, responsibility, and purpose and to strengthening this NPP-led government to deliver real change for every Sri Lankan.”
Earlier this week, Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK) spokesperson M.A. Sumanthiran called for the immediate resignation of all Tamil members of the NPP, stating the “NPP government stands exposed as a racist, Sinhala Buddhist nationalist force, no different to any other government in the past”.
