Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday dismissed as irrelevant a call by the chief minister of the Tamil-majority Northern Province for a federal solution to issues of the ethnic minority community. Chief Minister C V Wigneswaran two weeks ago had demanded a federal solution to meet the political aspirations of the Tamil minority. The opposition in parliament demanded government response to Chief Minister Wigneswaran’s demand.

“Anyone is free to air their views but the constitution making process is the work of parliament,” Prime Minister said, terming Chief Minister Wigneswaran’s demands irrelevant. He said the all-party steering committee report would be the basis for constitutional change.

“All of us in this House can express our views to the committee,” Prime Minister said.

Chief Minister Wigneswaran during his demonstration in Jaffna had said the Sinhalese fear federalism through ignorance and a federal solution would not mean a division of the island into ethnicity-based provinces.

Chief Minister Wigneswaran has been accused of trying to fan communal flames and has also come under fire for organising the demonstration from his own Tamil National Alliance party.