Friday, June 15, 2007

'Karuna group' threatens TNA MP

A Tamil parliamentarian complaints that he received death threats from Tamil paramiliratries whilst police looked on.

The incident happened in Thirukkovil when Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian Chandranehru Chandrakanth visited the area with Urban Development Board officers.

Speaking to BBC Sandeshaya Chandranehru Chandrakanth, MP, criticised the way police handled the incident when members of Karuna faction threatened him.

"If police is unable to take action when a parliamentarian is threatened, what sort of protection they can give to general public” he questioned.

According to the MP officers from both Kalmune and Akkaraipatu police stations were with him but did not arrest Iniyabharathi, a 'commandant' of the group led by Karuna, the MP said.

When Iniyabharathi who came in a white van loaded with weapons threatened Chandrakanth with death police officers surrounded him and took him away from the incident in a police van.

“Police and my bodyguards told me that it is important to avoid bloodshed than confronting Karuna’s people” said Chandrakanth.

“They were armed and I saw a lot of weapons inside their white van” he added.

The parliamentarian is confident that Iniyabharathi is a commander of Karuna fraction. Police officrers also knew who Iniyabharathi was, according to the parliamentarian.

He has registered his complaint at Thirukkovil police station and informed the Deputy Inspector General of Police Lasantha De Silva.

“DIG instructs the police to take me out of the area, so they put me in an ambulance and brought me to Colombo” said the MP.

(http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/wsy/pub/rss/1.0/-/sinhala/news/story/2007/06/070611_karuna.shtml)

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