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Sri Lanka’s Attorney General advises on action against Tamil UNP MP

Sri Lanka’s Attorney General’s department has advised the Speaker of Sri Lanka’s Parliament on the possible action against Tamil UNP MP, Vijayakala Maheswaran, who was forced to resign from her ministerial post after Sinhalese politicians objected to her call last month for a resurgence of the LTTE to control the violent crime in the North-East.

The Attorney General has reportedly advised Speaker Karu Jayasuirya to examine whether action could be pursued against Ms Maheswaran under current Standing Orders or if not, to let the House decide the procedure to take action against her.

Last week, Ms Maheswaran said that she would “not succumb to others’ sentiments or pay a price that I am not entitled to settle” with regards to her comments.

Ms Maheswaran is currently under investigation by Sri Lanka’s Organised Crime Prevention Division (OCPD) after the National Organiser of Sinhala Ravaya, a Buddhist monk named Magalkande Sudantha, lodged a complaint with regards to the speech.

Last week the OCPD announced that 59 statements had been recorded by the Sri Lankan police, including from 14 government officials and 30 media personnel who were present at the speech in Jaffna last month. The OCPD report has now been submitted to Sri Lanka’s Attorney General.

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