Samagi Jana Balawegaya Opposition MP and Tamil Progressive Alliance Leader Mano Ganesan yesterday (9) said that he brought to President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s attention that the collection of personal residential details carried out by the Police in the city of Colombo had caused disturbance among residents, and noted that he believes that President would take immediate action.
Ganesan told The Morning that President Wickremesinghe agreed to remedy the issue.
“President Wickremesinghe accepted that it is not right, and therefore, he said he would immediately inform the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and other officials to remedy this issue. Since the President himself is the head of the armed forces, I believe that he will solve this issue,” he added.
He urged the authorities to stop collecting such information, and claimed that if this is not done, he would stage a protest in Colombo alongside its residents.
“If the Police continue to do this, I will even start to protest in Colombo,” he noted.
Ganesan further said: “I made a phone call to the President on 8 October, which he returned last morning (9). I explained to him about this issue. I said that although there is a relevant provision in the Police Ordinance, there is no reason for this to happen now, as it is a time of peace. Peace is prevailing and therefore, there is no need for the Police to go from house to house and collect information officially.”
He said that the collecting of information had created unnecessary disturbance among Colombo residents.
“This act by the Police had caused disturbance among the residents of Colombo. Especially among those living in Bambalapitiya and Wellawatte. They are not only gathering information in the above areas, but in the entire Colombo city,” he said.
He further noted: “A police official told me that they are checking whether ‘aragalaya’ activists are hiding in Colombo. I told him, I don’t think ‘aragalaya’ activists are residing in Wellawatte or Bambalapitiya. Be it ‘aragalaya’ or otherwise, they can only seek a person by naming him via an arrest warrant. In that case there would be no issue. But they cannot go from house to house to collect personal information.”
“I have also brought the issue to the attention of subject Minister Tiran Alles and IGP C.D. Wickramaratne. I have told them the information collected by the Police will end up in the wrong hands. Some unlawful elements can access the collected information, and that may put people in danger. Under no circumstances will I agree to this,” he added.
However, section 76 of the Police Ordinance states every household should furnish information to police officers of the division in which they live, of inhabitants of the household, per order of the IGP or Magistrate.