MP Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam has clarified that a fake social media account falsely claimed he had called on people to ‘demolish’ the Thaiyiddy Vihara during a press conference held yesterday (24).
A post circulating on social media urged people to join in demolishing the Buddhist temple, which is alleged to have been built on private land in Thaiyiddy. However, the MP dismissed this as false propaganda. Despite this, Palaly Police filed a case against MP Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam at the Mallakam Magistrates’ Court last week in connection with the social media post.
Following this, Jaffna-based journalists Bharathan and P. Thambithurai were summoned to the Palaly Police Sub-Division on Friday, 21 February, to provide statements. They were later taken to the Palaly Police Station, located within a high-security zone, for further questioning. The police confiscated and inspected their mobile phones, conducted an intensive six-hour inquiry, and recorded their statements. The journalists were later released on the condition that they must appear in court whenever summoned.
Meanwhile, former MP Selvarasa Gajendran and former Nallur Pradeshiya Sabha member Vasugi Sudhakaran, who had led protests against the Thaiyiddy Vihara, were also summoned to the police station to provide statements.