Muslim mosque at Dambulla cannot be shifted from there now -Lands Minister Janaka Tennekoon

Those who damaged the mosque still scot free – Mujibur Rahman

(Lanka-e-News-25.April.2012, 11.45PM) Minister for land and land development Janaka Bandara Tennekoon said today , that a situation has arisen now where the Muslim mosque situated in the Dambulla ‘sacred area’ cannot be shifted from there. Addressing a special media briefing convened today, the Minister made this revelation . If peaceful discussions had been held preliminarily , this religious place of worship could have been moved out from there , but this issue has been muddled and mucked up now by rabble rousers by their unwarranted misconduct , the Minister stated. The Minister said, he was not associated with the construction or anything else of the mosque , and it was made known by the gazette notification. While a meeting was to be held between the Govt. officials and the other party on this subject on the 23rd , Inamaluwe Thero leading a violent gang attacked the mosque on the 20th , and deprived the chances of resolving this issue amicably , the Minister regretted. The Minister also charged that the police could have easily controlled the ugly and violent situation triggered by these marauders , but the police dismally failed in its duty. Meanwhile , UNP provincial Council member Mujibur Rahman addressing the media at Dambulla said, those who damaged the mosque are still scot free. While no legal action is being taken against the wrongdoers which is primary and paramount , just holding discussions on moving the mosque here and there is meaningless, he pointed out. ‘It is a big question mark as to which garbage bin the rule of law has been thrown into by the rulers if those who even destroy places of religious worship wantonly can live freely without being apprehended and punished.  This Govt. is setting an extremely bad example to society’, he noted . The Muslim Congress political Council is to take a decision on this issue after its