Rishad Bathiudeen, leader of the All Ceylon People’s Congress and a member of parliament, said he had not committed any crime and he has been arrested under the Prevention of Terrorism Act.
Rishad Bathiudeen MP, who was arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department and remanded in custody for the past 25 days, was brought to parliament to attend the session yesterday.
While addressing the parliament session he said,
“As the corona is on the rise in this country and the world, the death toll in our country is also increasing. I first appeal to the government to do its duty properly and protect the people of the country.
I was skeptical about this government allowing me to enter parliament. even for the last parliament session, I was informed to be ready, but permission was denied at the last moment. I owe a debt of gratitude to the other Members of Parliament, including the Leader of the Opposition, who demanded that I should be invited to the Parliamentary sessions.
I have been convicted and imprisoned. This is taking place using the power of the President. So far I have not been taken to any court. no permission was obtained from Attorney General’s Department. While I was asleep at night, they broke into the house at about one and a half o’clock and forcibly arrested me, and took me to the fourth floor.
I have been a regular in this Parliament for a long time. By arresting me the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has announced that it will arrest a parliamentarian and the leader of a minority party without any evidence and detain him for three months under the Prevention of Terrorism Act, with the permission of the Ministry of Defense. In what way is it fair to detain someone who has not committed any crime to put into the fourth floor?.
I take this opportunity to appeal to the Tamil, Sinhala, Muslim people, and civil society who love democracy. You have to ask the President of this country that, What is the purpose of using the power to detain a Member of Parliament who has been elected to Parliament five times in a row, without imposing any charges on him?
After interrogating me three times, they sent the files related to those investigations to the Attorney General’s Department. The Attorney General’s Department has not yet said to arrest me. Because the department has no reason to say so. They are doing this to please some clergymen.
So far no statements about me have been sent to the court regarding my arrest. Is this the democracy of this country? By detaining me, what is the message you are telling the minority people living in this country?
This government takes revenge on us with the wild laws in this country, which is not in any other part of this world. Even in India, there is no such bad law. So, my plea through this high council is that if I have committed any crime, please publicly appear in court and convict me. Give me even the death penalty if I have committed a crime.
The Parliamentary Selection Committee investigated ten charges against me and declared that I am innocent. But they are arresting me now for no reason and detaining me to get revenge. ”
