A dispute over a Buddha statue in Trincomalee has escalated into a major political controversy, with the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK) accusing the NPP-led government of bowing to Sinhala nationalist pressure and demanding the resignation of Tamil MPs.
ITAK has called for the immediate resignation of Tamil members serving under the National People’s Party, including Trincomalee District MP and Deputy Foreign Minister Arun Hemachandra. The demand follows the government’s handling of a tense situation surrounding the installation of a Buddha statue at a local temple. The issue erupted last Tuesday night when a group attempted to place a Buddha statue inside a Dhamma school. Police were called in to ease rising tensions, and the statue was subsequently removed following intervention by Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala.
However, ITAK General Secretary M. A. Sumanthiran posted on X that the statue’s removal crushed earlier hopes of a fair and impartial administration. He claimed the government had caved in to “pressure from the majority Sinhala forces.” According to ITAK, the minister’s comments in Parliament later revealed the true intent of the government, as Wijepala stated the statue was only removed for security reasons and would be reinstalled.
ITAK says this admission proves the NPP government is no different from past regimes that aligned with Sinhala Buddhist nationalism. They argue this marks a clear departure from the promises of equal treatment and inclusive governance. The incident in Trincomalee, according to the party, reflects a deeper issue: that the government is prioritizing the demands of Sinhala nationalist groups over the rights and sensitivities of minority communities.
In light of these developments, ITAK argues that Tamil MPs affiliated with the NPP can no longer, in good conscience, remain part of a government that appears to sideline Tamil interests. They are urging those MPs to resign immediately, stating that to continue in office would be to endorse policies that damage Tamil trust and entrench ethnic division.
