SL Police releases statue desecration suspect following political influence

[TamilNet, Monday, 16 January 2012, 07:03 GMT]
A suspect arrested by the Sri Lankan police in connection with the desecration of Swami Vivekananda in Batticaloa was released on bail due to the intervention of MLAM Hisbullah, a deputy minister in the Mahinda Rajapaksa led government. The statue of 18th century Vedantic spiritual leader of Hinduism, situated in the border of Tamil dominated Aaraiyampathi and Muslim dominated Kaaththaankudi, was desecrated by a motorbike squad Tuesday last week. The SL Police arrested a man, an eyewitness, following the incident and released him. Later, Vahawan alias Vadi, a Muslim person who owns a hardware store in Kaaththaankudi, was arrested by the SL Police in Kaaththaankudi.

Due to the intervention of Mr. Hisbullah, the suspect was released by the police after two hours of his detention in the police station.   The suspect, alleged to have committed several crimes in the past in Batticaloa, has been evading arrest due to political influence, sources in Kaaththaankudi said.

Civil organizations have requested the authorities to initiate necessary steps to repair the damaged statue as the culprit for the crime had been identified.

The destruction is viewed as an attempt to create further divisions between Tamils and Muslims in the district.

Certain elements in the ruling UPFA were protesting against the use of Arabic in the East in the beginning of 2011.

Later, in September 2011, name boards in Tamil were destroyed by an unknown squad, who were believed to be operatives of the military establishment in Colombo.

The welcome board “Va'nakkam, Batticaloa welcomes you” in Tamil was removed and the Sri Lankan police was spreading a rumour that certain Muslim leaders, including the Batticaloa Urban Council chairman considered “Va'nakkam” in Tamil as harem at that time.

Chronology:

16.01.12  SL Police releases statue desecration suspect foll..

13.01.12  TNA parliamentarian condemns desecration of Viveka..

10.01.12  Motorbike squad destroys Swami Vivekananda statue

Motorbike squad destroys Swami Vivekananda statue in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 10 January 2012, 23:39 GMT]
A group of men who came in motorbikes Tuesday around 00:30 a.m. destroyed the statue of Swami Vivekananda, a well known Vedantic spiritual leader of Hinduism from the 18th century. The statue, located in front of a fuel filling station on Batticaloa Kalmunai Road (A4) and is regarded locally as a border mark of Tamil dominated Aaraiyampathi and Muslim dominated Kaaththaankudi in Batticaloa district. The destruction is viewed as an attempt to create further divisions between Tamils and Muslims in the district. The SL police is allegedly involved in activities creating dissension between Tamils and Muslims by engineering such attacks, informed sources in Kaaththaankudi told TamilNet Tuesday.

The hands, legs, face of the statue were badly damaged.

A watcher of the fuel filling station, who witnessed the motorbike squad, was taken into custody by the SL Police in Kaaththaankudi.

Certain elements in the ruling UPFA were protesting against the use of Arabic in the East in the beginning of 2011.

Later, in September, name boards in Tamil were destroyed by an unknown squad, allegedly operatives of Colombo.

The welcome board “Va'nakkam, Batticaloa welcomes you” in Tamil was removed and the Sri Lankan police was spreading a rumour that certain Muslim leaders, including the Batticaloa Urban Council chairman considered “Va'nakkam” in Tamil as harem at that time.

In the meantime, M.L.A.M.Hisbullah, a deputy minister in the Rajapaksa government has condemned the attack on the Swami Vivekananda statue as an irresponsible act of some ‘criminal elements’.

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23.09.11   Tamil name boards removed along Batticaloa - Kalmunai Road
26.04.11   Kaaththaankudi UC defends Arabic usage in name boards