Mahinda Kahandagama, Chairman of the Self-Employment Association, revealed in a conversation with a YouTube channel that the attack on the Galle face struggle was not carried out by Pohottu members and friends who had gathered at Temple trees on the invitation of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, but a group who came from a by road.

Kahandagama said this while replying to the question that the YouTube channel host Chamuditha Samarawickrama raised a question whether it was the group from Temple Trees who attacked the Galle face struggle. 

When we were walking from the Temple Trees towards Galle Face, a group of people carrying sticks entered the Galle Road from a by road and they followed us and started attacking the activists. Kahandagama said that he did not go towards the Galle Face ground to attack the activists, but the next day in the print media as well as in the electronic media reported that a group of prisoners had attacked the activists, but the incident was not investigated by the security forces or the media in the aftermath of the attack. 

In that discussion Kahandagama revealed in addition to the group of Pohottu members and associates who came from different provinces, another group participated in attacking the activists subsequently when former president Mahinda Rajapaksa resigned from the post of Prime Minister at the Temple Trees. Kahadagama, said it was alleged a group to attack the protesters was brought by Nissanka Senadhipati, the leader of the Avant-Garde.

The thugs attached to the Rajapaksa government attacked the Galle Face struggle on May 9. That evening, a group of prisoners who were returning to the prisons by bus from Colombo were attacked by a group of activists in the area. If the people of the Watareka area had not attacked that bus, the secret would not have been revealed.

The Avant Garde has been accused of using prisoners for building construction work and pay them a pittance. The report also states that the people who attacked Galle Face struggle on May 9 were brought before and was working in a building in the Kollupitiya area just before the incident. 

Lawyer Senaka Perera, Executive Director of Prisoners’ Rights Protection Committee held a press conference on May 10 and stated that the government has used prisoners to attack the May 9 struggle in Galle Face.The closest incident for lawyer Senaka Perera to make such a statement was when the public assaulted the prisoners on their return to Watareka prisons in the evening on May 9 and the name of Avant Garde Nissanka was mentioned. 

Secrets about the struggle that were hidden under the carpet have now begun to be revealed. The related investigation agencies should find out who are those thugs who carried iron rods and attacked them in the struggle ? Are they Pohottuwa morons, prisoners or another group? 

Justice Minister Wijedasa Rajapaksa, who was angered with lawyer Senaka Perera’s statement, said he will conduct a disciplinary investigation against him and remove his Attorney license. Lanka Sky News questions why the Justice Minister is giving statements when we allege Avant Garde? Is it because he appeared for the Avant Gard floating armory cases and he went Disneyland US on a trip with Avant Garde head Nissanka Senadipathi?