Condemning the alleged attack on the Uthayan newspaper office in Jaffna, the UNP today demanded that the government take full responsibility for the outrageous act, the fourth attack on the newspaper in recent times.
UNG General Secretary Tissa Attanayake stated that the attack, which occurred a day before the Sinhala And Hindu New year, which signifies peace and unity, was carried out in fury and low mentality.
Gunmen allegedly opened fire and torched the Uthayan printing press in Jaffna this morning, causing damages to machinery and other equipment.
Lakshman Hulugalla, director general at the Media Centre for National Security, however said initial investigations indicated the attack was an “inside job to tarnish the image of the government.”
He stated that while the freedom to express democratic opinions is necessary in any civilized society, the freedom to express opinions opposing the government is especially important.
Through the incident created in Jaffna, the government is proving to the world that there is no difference between the politics of the government and the LTTE, Attanayake said in a statement.
“LTTE terrorism has been replaced with state terrorism today,” he charged.
He stated that through this the government confirms that there is no room for ideological politics, based on ideas, in Sri Lanka and that in a way it’s a justification of the LTTE’s violent politics.
The UNP General Secretary further claimed that the government’s secret agenda is to win the upcoming Northern polls through terror.
“However, the day that the people defeat the state terrorism just as it defeated the LTTE terrorism is not far away,” he said.
