State Defence Minister Ruwan Wijewardena yesterday raised the suspicion that the 'Joint Opposition' was having an agreement with the extremist elements in the north.

Speaking to the media in Colombo he said that extremist elements in the north and in the south are trying to undermine the program of the government.

Wijewardena said that the government was trying to promote reconciliation among communities and develop the country. Extremists in the north are now fabricating stories about the government poisoning former LTTE inmates. Extremists in the south are alleging that the government is hunting down 'war heroes'. But both these allegations are utterly baseless, Wijewardena said.

He pointed out that the Sri Lankan government's rehabilitation of the LTTE has won even international acclaim. Meanwhile, the new government is not using the soldiers for manual labour like the previous government, the Minister added.

He said that the government was always focusing on the interest of the soldiers in armed forces.