Major General Mahinda Hathurusinghe has accused the Tamil daily ‘Uthayan’ of stoking communal flames in its editorial and driving Tamils towards another war.

Hathurusinghe said the editorial on the Northern Provincial Elections was an attempt by Uthayan editor and TNA MP Saravanabavan to further his own political prospect and this could be taken as “very unpatriotic”.

The Major General further claimed that Saravanabavan was “jealous” of the “friendship and amity” between the military and the civilian population, adding that civilians who have realised his tactics were protesting against the removal of military camps.

See below for offending passage in the editorial, as translated by the Daily News:

"However, the government is forced to hold the election due to international pressure. Now the government is acquiring the traditional lands belonging to the people in the North prior to the elections with the intention of giving them over to Sinhala people. Now the government has started settling Sinhalese in the North in a subtle manner. Certain politicians in the North are only holding candles (Kavadi) to the government."

Uthayan’s offices were attacked last month, with equipment set on fire and several employees assaulted. The government alleged the attack to have been an insider job.