Former President Ranil Wickremesinghe today addressed the findings of the Batalanda Commission report, emphasizing the violent actions undertaken by the JVP during the period of 1988 to 1990. In his statement, he highlighted the government’s response to the threats posed at the time, following the Indo-Lanka Accord.
“Post-Accord, the JVP escalated terror across the nation, prompting J.R. Jayewardene to assign the protection of critical infrastructure to cabinet ministers,” Wickremesinghe noted. He detailed the strategic importance of the Biyagama area, home to key installations including an oil refinery and a diesel power plant which supplied electricity to Colombo.
During this tumultuous period, the security of these areas was paramount, leading to the allocation of abandoned Lanka Fertilizer Manufacturing Company buildings to the security forces. The decision was made following the murder of the Sapugaskanda Police Station OIC, with the then Deputy Minister of Defense, Ranjan Wijeratne, contacting Wickremesinghe to secure housing for army and police personnel.
The former president recounted the subsequent transfer of these properties to the police under Superintendent Nalin Delgoda’s supervision, which coincided with the murders of several local officials. Despite these efforts, Wickremesinghe stated, “The commission erroneously held Mr. Delgoda and myself indirectly responsible for these arrangements.”
Wickremesinghe criticized the commission’s intent as politically motivated, designed to tarnish reputations rather than seek justice. He firmly rejected its conclusions, noting the absence of other allegations against him in the report. “The comprehensive detailing of JVP’s terrorist activities in the commission’s third chapter underscores the scale of the threat,” he added.
The former president also mentioned the report’s reception, pointing out that it was introduced in Parliament in 2000 without subsequent debate or significant acknowledgment, suggesting a general dismissal of its findings. “No political entity has leveraged this report for narrow gains, which illustrates a broader disinterest in revisiting parliamentary reports after such an extended period,” concluded Wickremesinghe.
