Pathirana provided police escort back to JVP HQ

By Nirmala Kannangara
Police intervened to provide security to Anuradhapura JVP Parliamentarian Ranaweera Pathirana following the tense situation that erupted at the press briefing held by JVP defectors at Hotel Nippon yesterday.
The police intervened to provide transport under police escort to the MP to the JVP Headquarters after Pathirana came under threat of being assualted by supporters of the other JVP defectors.
The police team arrived at the Nippon Hotel while the press briefing was in progress and later had to escort Pathirana to the JVP headquarters since the 11 JVP defectors left the parliamentarian at the venue.
However, when questions were raised as to why the police team escorted Pathirana after he lashed out at JVP’s Wimal Weerawansa’s actions in parliament earlier in the day, the police team did not wish to tell the media the real reason behind the move.
"Police is there to give protection to who needs security. Even if the media wants we are willing to provide security for them as well," the police said.
However the riot squad and a police team was present outside Hotel Nippon in Slave Island to avert any possible tension situation.
Meanwhile, the lone parliamentarian who accused Weerawansa of betraying party policies spoke to fellow JVP parliamentarian K.D. Lalkantha over the phone and requested him to send a vehicle for him.
ASP Premalal Ranagala who escorted Pathirana to the party headquarters told The Morning Leader that the police intervened to provide transport to the parliamentarian following the tense situation that erupted following his statement at the press briefing.
"We were told that he was being isolated following the statement he made to the media and that there was a threat of him being assaulted by supporters of the other defectors. Pathirana is a parliamentarian and we as the police are bound to provide security for their protection and that is what we did," he said.
Ranagala also said that Pathirana was taken to the party headquarters in Pelawatte and was handed over to the party officials there.