Additional Magistrate Mrs. Rudrika De Silva Hevavasam today strongly rejected a request made by Mihintale Police Station Mr. Ranjith Chandrasiri to the Anuradhapura Court to issue a restraining order preventing the protest organized by a group of farmers at that time as the President is coming to inaugurate a water project in Mihintale area on the 15th of this month. Sri Lanka Latest News
The Mihintale police told the court that the president is scheduled to visit the Mihintale area to inaugurate a water project.
The police told the court that a group of farmers had organized a protest at Mihintala at the time of the President’s visit and said that if there was a protest at the time of the President’s visit, the security of the President and other dignitaries could be threatened.
The police informed the court that a Japanese delegation and many other dignitaries are going to join the opening ceremony of this water project. The police stated before the court that if there are protests at that time, Sri Lanka will be disgraced in front of the international community.
It was also predicted that if there is a protest, the traffic on the Jaffna-Kandy main road will be severely disrupted.
Taking this fact into consideration, the police requested the court to issue a restraining order in terms of Section 106 of the Criminal Procedure Code, preventing the related protests.
Mr. Bhagya Sri Herat, a lawyer who stood for the rights of the people of Mihintale, told the court that Sri Lanka has already been disgraced in front of the international community.
The lawyer also said that the people whom the Mihintale police call VIPs are responsible.
Advocate Mr. Bhagya Sri Herath also asked the court to reject the illegal request made by the police to take away the constitutional right of the public to hold protests.
Additional Magistrate Mrs. Rudrika De Silva Hevawasam, who took into account the submissions of both parties, strongly rejected the request.
