Minister of Health and Indigenous Medicine Dr. Rajitha Senaratne launched a fresh salvo on the Avant Garde company yesterday, simultaneously hitting out at those who defend it.

Speaking at a meeting in Madurawala in Kalutara District, he alleged that employees of Avant Guarde company were involved in the shooting of the final opposition rally during the Presidential Election.

Former Defence Secretary Gotabata Rajapaksa was behind the attack, he further alleged.

Senaratne also said that those who defend the company were going against good governance principles. He recalled that they gave a pledge on ‘good governance’ at the Viharamahadevi Park during the Presidential Election. What they wanted was to change the system, he recalled. However, certain ‘so called’ UNP members were now going against these principles, he said.

However Senaratne may have confused the final rally and final day's campaign during the presidential election. A shooting did take place at Kahawatte early in the morning on January 5, before a rally of Maithripala Sirisena, the then opposition common candidate. As a precaution, Sirisena addressed the final rally in Colombo from behind a bullet-proof screen.