‘Et tu Prabha….’ Fuming Mano suspends brother from DPF

The Democratic People’s Fornt (DFF) membership of Prabha Ganeshan who joined the government earlier in the day has been suspended, DPF leader Mano Ganeshan has told BBC’s Thamil Osai.

Mano Ganesan who is on a private visit to India has said that his brother and United National Party Colombo District parliamentarian Prabha Ganesan’s crossover to the government side was a betrayal of the highest order. It was like stabbing him (Mano) on the back, he had told the news service.

Though the defection of his brother has deprived the DPF of its Parliamentary representation, he was confident that the party could still forge ahead with its principles, Mano has said.

“It is a clear act against the principles constantly followed by us for the last ten years since the inception of the party. He (Prabha) has today unsuccessfully attempted to justify his act of betrayal by talking about our party’s conflicts with the UNP. Our stands in respect of the government and our issues with the UNP after the last general elections are two different issues. He cannot undo our issues with the UNP by joining the government,” Mano Ganesan has said.

“MP Praba Ganesan’s memberships in the party and our trade union wing DWC have been suspended with immediate effect. Our general secretary and member of Western Provincial Council Dr. Nalliah Kumaraguruparan has already written to Praba Ganesan in this regard,” said DPF leader Mano Ganesan in a media release issued by the DPF media office.

However, the party’s media office had earlier sent out a media release that the story claiming Prabha Ganesan had joined the government was false and that he had only met President Mahinda Rajapaksa to discuss matters relating to Local Government elections.

Prabha Ganesan of the DPF and P. Digambaram of the National Union of Workers Front contested the last General Elections under the elephant symbol of the United National Front from Colombo and Nuwara Eliya districts respectively.