Pillayan Slams Former Spokesman Over Claims
(MENAFN- Colombo Gazette) State Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pillayan has slammed his former spokesman Azad Maulana, accusing him of telling lies in order to strengthen his claim for asylum overseas.
Pillayan denied any links to the Easter Sunday attacks or the bombers saying such allegations are baseless.
Issuing a statement, Pillayan said that his party, the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pullikal (TMVP), is often used to mislead the public.
Fromer spokesman of the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pullikal (TMVP), Azad Maulana, appeared before channel 4 and alleged the Sri Lankan military intelligence met the Easter Sunday bombers before the attacks in 2019.
In a Channel 4 Dispatches documentary, aired yesterday (Tuesday) on the British television station, Maulana alleged that the meeting took place in the East and that he was also present.
Maulana alleged the meeting took place between Easter Sunday bomber Zahran Hashim and head of the State Intelligence Service Suresh Sallay.
The former TMVP spokesman, who has now sought asylum overseas, has shared the information with the UN and the EU as well as other diplomatic missions.
Nine suicide bombers belonging to the local Islamist extremist group National Thawheed Jamaat (NTJ) linked to ISIS carried out a series of devastating blasts that tore through three Catholic churches and as many luxury hotels on April 21, 2019, killing nearly 270 people, including 11 Indians, and injuring over 500.
Maulana alleged the military intelligence allowed the attack to go ahead to pave the way for Gotabaya Rajapato win the Presidential election later that year.
Suresh Sallay has denied the allegations while TMVP leader Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan said that Maulana was making the allegations to obtain asylum. (Colombo Gazette)
Also read: TMVP informant spills the beans
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