Youth affairs and employment minister visits fasting minister

The Prime minister of Sri Lanka says that the government is not involved in the hunger strike launched by Housing Minister Wimal Weerawansa.

"The government has nothing to do with this," said Prime Minister DM Jayaratne in an exclusive interview with BBC Sandesaya.

However, he accepted that the government had withdrawn police from the scene of the protest against the panel appointed by the UN secretary general to advise him on alleged war crimes.

"They have a right to protest according to the constitution," added the PM.

"Not for opposition"

Nevertheless, the opposition led by Sri Lanka's former military chief expressed doubts about the government's motives.

Speaking to journalists, Democratic National Alliance (DNA) parliamentarian Anura Kumara Dissanayake said that the democratic right to protest is not open for the opposition.

'Drama'

The hunger strike launched by the housing minister was described by MP Dissanayake as a 'drama' enacted by the government.

"President Rajapaksa is the scriptwriter while Wimal Weerawansa is the main comedian, he added.

Meanwhile, naming the protest by Minister Weerawansa, a "clown's act," the Left Liberation Front had called upon the minister to "beg forgiveness from the Tamil people," for the war crimes committed.