Hunt for Buddhist monk accused of abduction

<p>Athuraliye Rathana, a Buddhist monk and parliamentarian has absconded and is unable to be located state Colombo police following accusation that he abducted fellow monk Vedinigama Wimalatissa, the General Secretary of the Our Power of Peoples Party (OPPP).</p> <p>The Sinhala nationalist monk, Athuraliye Rathana was informed by Colombo police to present himself at the police station; however he did not turn up.</p> <p>Earlier in the week (August 18), another monk and member of the OPPP stated that he was “kidnapped and held illegally” by Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara, general secretary of the Sinhala supremacist Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) organisation.</p> <p>Wimalatissa, the allegedly kidnapped, had claimed earlier in the week that “groups supporting Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thero and Athureliye Rathana Thero are looking for me” and that he had ‘‘been sleeping in a different location every night”. He further added that his ‘‘vehicle was chased by them in several cars as far as Kalutara one night”.</p> <p>The OPPP who remain unsure about their national list MP position, are under controversy after the complaint was registered with the police concerning the abduction of Vedinigama Wimalatissa yesterday (22nd August 2020).</p> <p>Allegedly, Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara was chosen to take up the national list position, however this has not been officially pronounced; various other monks within the party continue to attempt to grab the parliamentary position.</p>