The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) has strongly rejected claims published in the May 17 edition of a Sunday newspaper alleging internal tensions and a dispute during a meeting at its Pelawatte office.
In a statement issued today (18), the JVP said the report published in the newspaper’s political gossip column under the headline “Who kicked a chair at the Pelawatte meeting?” was “completely false” and a fabricated story with no basis in fact.
According to the newspaper report, disagreements had allegedly emerged during a meeting over the appointment of Eran Wickramaratne to head the Cricket administration and proposals to bring opposition figures into government positions, leading to tensions and even an individual kicking a chair.
Rejecting the claims, the JVP said no such incident or debate had taken place within either the party or the National People’s Power (NPP).
The party also denied suggestions that discussions were taking place regarding bringing opposition MPs into the government, stating that the NPP’s policy opposes political crossovers and supports legal reforms to prevent MPs from switching sides.
The JVP further noted that Eran Wickramaratne was appointed based on suitability for the role and not as part of any political arrangement involving opposition members.
The party accused some groups of attempting to create an impression of divisions between the JVP and the NPP and said the report appeared to have been published with political motives.
The JVP Media Unit said a letter requesting a correction had already been sent to the Sunday newspaper regarding the publication. (Newswire)