Former minister Lakshman Kiriella has defended his recent public comments made to a senior Buddhist prelate, clarifying that his criticisms were aimed strictly at the government rather than minority groups.
The former minister addressed a media briefing in Colombo on Friday (16) following backlash over remarks delivered during a meeting with the Mahanayake Thera of the Malwathu Chapter in Kandy.
The controversy arose after reports suggested Kiriella had accused the government of exploiting its legal proceedings regarding the imprisoned Venerable Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thero to court political support among minority communities.
Rejecting the backlash from critics, Kiriella stressed that his statements had been taken out of context by individuals who failed to listen to the complete recording of his discussions at the Malwathu Maha Vihara.
He asserted that pointing out political maneuvering by the state did not equate to finding fault with minority populations.
He also said that President Anura Kumara Dissanayake possessed the constitutional authority to issue a presidential pardon for Gnanasara Thero through a direct executive order, rendering any reliance on fresh parliamentary legislation entirely unnecessary.
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