President Maithripala Sirisena avoided accepting responsibility for the use of tear gas and water cannon at a protest by disabled war veterans yesterday.

Speaking at the first death anniversary commemoration of Maduluwawe Sobhitha Thera, Sirisena said that he would not have attacked them if he had been in Colombo.

He added that he would have let them enter the Presidential Secretariat and let them do as they pleased.

Sirisena added that the police took the measure as a last resort. However, he would have not let them do even that if he was in Colombo, Sirisena said.