Minister Rishad Bathiudeen says that there is a conspiracy to stir racism by creating a social dialogue on Wilpattu deforestation to suppress the waste management issue in Aruwakkalu, Puttalam.

The Minister of Industry & Commerce, Resettlement of Protracted Displaced Persons, Co-operative Development and Vocational Training & Skills Development stated this at an event of the Al-Hikma College, Colombo, yesterday (20).

Speaking on the Aruwakkalu waste management issue, he says they will take the side of the innocent public just as they took the ‘right side’ during the period of political turmoil last year.

The Minister says that a social media trend has been created against him by accusing of deforestation in Wilpattu because he speaks out on the Aruwakkalu issue. He can see the ‘invisible hands’ that guide these topics, Bathiudeen added. He says that he will stand against injustice against the people even though he is a minister of the government.

Wrong paradigms such as this set by social media were the cause of clashes in Teldeniya and Gintota, pointed out the Minister.
 
He says that this is a conspiracy to create conflict amongst Sinhalese and the Muslims by bringing the issue of Wilpattu into the limelight.

Minister further says that he requests people who are trying to stir up racism that if they have a political hatred towards him, take revenge from him and not the Sinhala and Muslim communities who lived in cooperation since past.