Minister says the protest against the death of Gayan Rasanga was a 'mob mentality'

“There is no explanation apart from mob mentality,” was the response of Media Minister Kaheliya Rambukwella when a journalist raised the issue at the cabinet press briefing.

Nearly a thousand people gathered in front of Dompe police station threw stones and set fire to police properties in protest against the death of Gayan Rasanga, a father of one, in police custody.

“Some even throw stones for fun when mobs get together,” the minister said adding that it is not a positive phenomenon that people take the law into their hands.

Five police officers, including the chief inspector, at the post have been arrested after the death.

Dr Mervyn Silva

The journalists then pointed out that even senior ministers take the law into their hands, pointing out that Minister Mervyn Silva has slapped a person in front of a major school in Kelaniya.

	The govt pledged an investigation over the assault of SLRC workers but its outcome is still unknown

“The voters also have a responsibility in electing such people,” Minister Rambukwella responded when the journalists questioned whether it was a responsible action by a minister.

“There are two sides of that story. It is also the responsibility of the people who elected them with hundreds of thousands of votes.”

The controversial Dr Mervyn Silva has recently attacked a Hindu religious ritual where some cattle were to be sacrificed and taken the cattle away from the Hindu temple.

Earlier, he publicly assaulted a government official for failing to attend a meeting to discuss eradication of dengue chaired by the minister.

The minister was sacked by President Mahinda Rajapaksa and his ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party appointed a disciplinary panel.

Dr Silva was re-appointed with a promotion to the cabinet after the panel cleared the minister of any wrongdoing.

He was also accused of publicly assaulting senior journalists at a state run, Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation, and targeting other SLRC workers who publicly protested the assault.