“Contaminated” milk packets issue goes to Police | Daily News

“Contaminated” milk packets issue goes to Police

Minister Harin Fernando, Deputy Minister Nalin Bandara and MP Mujibar Rahuman yesterday lodged a complaint at the Mirihana Police against the allegations made by Joint Opposition (JO) that they distributed “contaminated” milk packets among the JO supporters who attended the recent rally held in Colombo.

Following a media briefing held at the Sirikotha UNP headquarters, Fernando, Bandara and Rahuman went to the Mirihana Police at around 2.45 p.m. to lodge the complaint.

Addressing the media thereafter, Minister Harin Fernando said that they have lodged the complaint requesting a full investigation with regards to the incident as well as the persons who are trying to sling mud and trying to put the blame on them.

“We hope both the police and the CID will be informed about this complaint and a full and fair investigation be conducted on this,” he said.

“Everyone must have seen the way these protesters were treated. They brought food from Lorries and threw the lunch packets at their supporters as if they were some slaves. Is there any wonder if their stomachs got upset after consuming such food. Maybe the stingy organisers did give these people rotten food,” Minister Fernando observed.

MP Mujibar Rahuman who was also present at the Mirihana Police Station, told the media that he has decided to file a defamation case against those who leveled allegations against him about distributing the said milk packets.

He pointed out that JO MP Wimal Weerawansa and MP Shehan Semasinghe have alleged that it was he who was behind distributing the packets of contaminated milk to the protesters. He also urged the JO to file a proper complaint without talking about the incident at media conferences.

Deputy Minister Nalin Bandara addressing the media said that the JO is trying to cover up their unsuccessful “Jana Balaya Kolombata” protest by bringing up the milk packet incident.

He said that the police will conduct a fair and independent investigation into the matter. “They are only trying to divert the attention from their unsuccessful protest to the government, by using politically bankrupt figures to sling mud at us.” The Deputy Minister pointed out.

Meanwhile, the trio expressed their observations on the same incident at a press brief held at Sirikotha Headquaters earlier in the afternoon. Digital Infrastructure and Foreign Employment Minister Harin Fernando at the media brief said that the Joint Opposition is trying to provoke the general public by holding MP Mujibar Rahuman responsible for the so called “poisoned milk packets.”

“If you study this closely you will see that the JO has specifically targeted MP Mujibar Rahuman to this case, who happens to be a Muslim. If you put two and two together, you will see how that Digana infertility pills myth came into being. Even at this incident, the JO wanted to imply that poison milk packets were distributed by a Muslim MP. This is how cheap, short sighted and stupid they can be.”

Speaking about JO MP Wimal Weerawansa’s allegation against Rahuman who apparently “injected poison” into the milk packets, Minister Fernando mocked Weerawansa for making such a senseless statement. “If someone can inject a drug to develop Weerawansa’s brain, it will be a great action,” he said.

Law and Order Deputy Minister Nalin Bandara speaking on the same subject said that the JO is “telling fairy tales” to conceal the failed protest recently organised by them.

“By midnight, the Joint Opposition lost even their undergarments out of sheer shame of a very much failed protest. So they were using to cover up their nudity using a milk packet. There was no reason for us to attack the protesters in anyway. Only one person has lodged a complaint against this incident at the police. A person called Rathnasiri Jayasooriya, who has not consumed these milk packets has lodged a complaint. He also has failed to mention a person or a vehicle that was involved in distributing the milk packets,” the Deputy Minister pointed out.

Speaking further about the inconsistency in the allegation, MP Mujibar Rahuman said that the accusers could not identify the location where these said milk packets were distributed.

“The JO MPs said that these milk packets were distributed at Maligawatte whereas the person who complained has mentioned it was at Slave Island. These are two contradictory stories. The people who got sick from consuming this milk were admitted to hospital around eight in the night. Thirty nine people were admitted. According to them, these milk packets were distributed among them around 3.p.m. Even when they were admitted to the hospital, they had the empty milk packets with them, which is very unnatural,” Rahuman pointed out.

While observing that most of the JO supporters who had joined the protest were seen passed out on the streets, Minister Harin Fernando said perhaps an inquiry should be made as to what kind of alcohol was distributed among these protesters.

Meanwhile, organisers of the press brief gave milk packets as refreshments to the media personnel who covered the event.

Meanwhile, the Joint Opposition yesterday said the vehicle used to distribute the contaminated milk packets for the protesters of the Janabalaya Kolombata held last Wednesday, belonged to a government ministry.

Addressing the media in Colombo, JO member, Parliamentarian Shehan Semasinghe said the UNP was behind the move to sabotage the protest. He said the JO will reveal more details about this incident shortly. 


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