Chief Prelates of the Malwathu, Asgiri, Amarapura and Ramanya Chapters have written to President Ranil Wickremesinghe seeking a presidential pardon for Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thera.

In March 2024, General Secretary of the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) Gnanasara Thera was sentenced to 04 years of rigorous imprisonment over an inflammatory statement made in 2016. 

A case was filed against Ven. Gnanasara Thera for having caused harm to national and religious harmony with his statement on the Kuragala Buddhist Temple, made during a press briefing in Colombo in 2016.

Chief Prelates Venerable Thibbatuwawe Sri Sumangala Thero of the Malwathu Chapter, Venerable Warakagoda Sri Gnanarathana Mahanayake Thero of the Asgiri Chapter, Venerable Karagoda Uyangoda Maithri Murthi Maha Nayaka Thero of Amarapura Nikaya and Venerable Makulewe Wimala Mahanayake Thero of the Ramanya chapters urged President Wickremesinghe to consider granting Gnanasara Thera a Presidential pardon.

Gnanasara Thero’s actions were commended by many and were instrumental in preventing religious and ethnic conflicts, the Prelates said. 

Gnanasara Thera who chaired the Presidential Task Force to implement the ‘One Country, One Law’ concept has contributed significantly to ensuring national security and prevented extremism from taking hold, they pointed out. 

The Venerable Prelates in their letter to the President requested Wickremesinghe to take note of these contributions and to grant Venerable Gnanasara a Presidential pardon in view of the upcoming Vesak Festival. (Newswire)

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The Colombo High Court has rejected the bail application filed by the General Secretary of the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thera, who is currently imprisoned. 

The decision was announced by Colombo High Court Judge Aditya Patabendige when the request for bail was taken up for hearing today. 

Last week, Ven. Gnanasara Thera was sentenced to 04 years of rigorous imprisonment over a statement made in 2016 after he was found guilty of the two indictments that had been filed by the Attorney General. 

A case was filed against Ven. Gnanasara Thera for having caused harm to national and religious harmony via his statement on the Kuragala Buddhist Temple made during a press briefing in Colombo in 2016.

In February this year, Ven. Gnanasara Thera apologised to the Muslim community for having caused distress over controversial remarks he had made linked to the Kuragala Temple. 

During a recent court proceeding, Ven. Gnanasara Thera extended his apologies to the Muslim community over his statement made eight years ago. (NewsWire)

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General Secretary of the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thera has been sentenced to 04 years of rigorous imprisonment over a statement made in 2016. 

Issuing the sentence today, Colombo High Court Judge Aditya Patabendige also imposed a fine of Rs. 100,000 on the Buddhist monk. 

The verdict was issued after Ven. Gnanasara Thera was found guilty of the two indictments that had been filed by the Attorney General. 

A case was filed against Ven. Gnanasara Thera for having caused harm to national and religious harmony via his statement on the Kuragala Buddhist Temple made during a press briefing in Colombo in 2016.

In February this year, Ven. Gnanasara Thera apologised to the Muslim community for having caused distress over controversial remarks he had made linked to the Kuragala Temple. 

During a recent court proceeding, Ven. Gnanasara Thera extended his apologies to the Muslim community over his statement made eight years ago. (NewsWire)

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General Secretary of the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thera has pleaded guilty to charges in a case filed related to the obstruction of a Press Briefing held at Nippon Hotel Colombo in 2014.

According to media reports, Ven. Gnanasara Thera is among seven suspects who pleaded guilty before the Fort Magistrate’s Court today.

Fort Magistrate Thilina Gamage ordered the suspects to pay compensation of Rs.300,000 to the complainant and severely warned them not to repeat such offences.

The suspects are accused of trespassing into Nippon Hotel in Colombo and obstructing a media conference organized by Jathika Bala Sena (JBS) leader Ven. Watareka Vijitha Thera in 2014.

In his complaint to the Police at the time, Ven. Vijitha Thera, alleged the group including Ven. Gnanasara Thera had stormed the hotel and threatened him, disrupting the media conference.

Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thera, Ven. Vitarandeniye Nanda Thera, Ven. Welimada Chandra Ratne Thera, Ven. Wellampitiye Sumana Damma Thera, Ven. Ariyawansa Sambudda Thera, Ven. Chardrananda Thera, P. Wewala and Pathiranage Gunawardena were named as the suspects in the case. (NewsWire)

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