Hakeem gets verbal lashing from MR
Sunday, 02 March 2014
Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) Leader, Minister Rauff Hakeem received a verbal lashing from President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the last cabinet meeting.
The President was angry after hearing that the SLMC had handed over a report to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights containing a list of mosques and churches that were attacked in the country.
However, what irked the President most was when Minister Champika Ranawaka told the Cabinet that the SLMC report to Pillay was leaked to members of the Tamil Diaspora and that it was being used by them to instigate Mulim nations against Sri Lanka at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC).
President Rajapaksa had inquired from Hakeem about the matter and the SLMC Leader had said he was not in control of every member of the party. He had added that the report was given by the SLMC Secretary.
An angry President had then asked Hakeen to decide whether the SLMC wanted to continue in the government.
Meanwhile, Hakeem has dismissed the verbal lashing as a mere “expression of ideas”.
Hakeem, the Minister of Justice, noted there was speculation in the media that an irate Rajapaksa “This was a free expression of ideas. True that the President became somewhat aggressive in his expression. This type of thing can happen in a democracy.
“The President himself promotes free ideas at cabinet meetings,” Hakeem was quoted as saying in the Indian media.
Sunday, 02 March 2014
Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) Leader, Minister Rauff Hakeem received a verbal lashing from President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the last cabinet meeting.
The President was angry after hearing that the SLMC had handed over a report to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights containing a list of mosques and churches that were attacked in the country.
However, what irked the President most was when Minister Champika Ranawaka told the Cabinet that the SLMC report to Pillay was leaked to members of the Tamil Diaspora and that it was being used by them to instigate Mulim nations against Sri Lanka at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC).
President Rajapaksa had inquired from Hakeem about the matter and the SLMC Leader had said he was not in control of every member of the party. He had added that the report was given by the SLMC Secretary.
An angry President had then asked Hakeen to decide whether the SLMC wanted to continue in the government.
Meanwhile, Hakeem has dismissed the verbal lashing as a mere “expression of ideas”.
Hakeem, the Minister of Justice, noted there was speculation in the media that an irate Rajapaksa “This was a free expression of ideas. True that the President became somewhat aggressive in his expression. This type of thing can happen in a democracy.
“The President himself promotes free ideas at cabinet meetings,” Hakeem was quoted as saying in the Indian media.
“The President himself promotes free ideas at cabinet meetings,” Hakeem was quoted as saying in the Indian media.
