Bathiudeen braves stone attack in East

Monday, 10 August 2015 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

‘Even Late Leader Ashraff was attacked in East’ - Bathiudeen
Bathiudeen says ACMC undaunted
Eastern women, youth starting to rally round ACMC

Rishad

The security cordon of Industry and Commerce Minister and ACMC leader Rishad Bathiudeen, who is currently campaigning in the East, was beefed up after he was pelted with stones while addressing an evening meeting at Irakkam, a mere 10 km from Ampara.

Eastern women and young Muslim voters appear to be increasingly drawn to ACMC campaigns, which have been taking place since last week.

“When the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress’ late leader Ashraff started the party and arrived in the East, he was threatened in many Eastern cities and was even attacked with stones,” said Bathiudeen, addressing voters in Sammanthurai on 8 August.

“This was the appreciation a leader of such status received when he tried to protect the rights of the Muslims of Sri Lanka. Today our party, the ACMC, is arriving for campaigning in the East for the first time and I too have been greeted in the same way. Today I have been stoned, threatened and our party supporters in the East are also being intimidated. We know who is behind these acts and we are undaunted. After the demise of the late leader Ashraff we can see the decline of the Eastern Muslims everywhere today,” he said.

“The new SLMC leadership has victimised Eastern Muslims rather than helped them. They are inundated with livelihood issues - be it farming, fishing or business. Most people in this area cannot remember as to when any infrastructure development took place here. I urge the Eastern Muslim voters to give us just one opportunity and return ACMC candidates to Parliament. We promise that you will witness a new era for Eastern Muslims.”

Some Eastern ACMC rallies were disrupted and a tense situation ensued when political rivals nearly thwarted another key meeting of the ACMC at Sammanthurai city at noon on 8 August.

The ACMC is fielding 10 candidates for the seven slots of the Digamadulla District’s electorates of Ampara, Kalmunai, Sammanthurai and Potuvil in the Eastern Province. It is contesting alone in the East while in the Northern Province it has joined together with the UNP.