ACMC Leader Minister Rishad Bathiudeen said the Muslim MPs decided to return to their ministerial portfolios as the Police investigations proved no allegations against him.

Addressing a press briefing in Colombo, Bathiudeen said, “I discussed with members of our party ACMC as to whether I should stay out of this portfolio till Presidential elections but decided to return today after discussions. Easter bombings are still hurting us-socially, psychologically and economically. After Easter bombings, all the accusations were pinned onto Muslim politicians, brought NCMs against us, and hunger strikes erupted against us. We the Muslim politicians then had to make a clear decision."

He also said, " We agreed that there has been serious damage to Sri Lanka due to Easter Sunday bombings, and if a new round of ethnic riots takes place along with destruction to lives and property as a result of us continuing to stay in the Ministerial portfolios, it will be very damaging to Sri Lanka. We, the Muslim Ministers then resigned to protect Sri Lanka’s international goodwill. The other Muslim Ministers were convinced that I have had no links with terrorists. Therefore they did not allow me to step down alone but collectively walked out with me," he added.

“We should step out during these investigations. If the investigations prove a link with any one of us, the let us face consequences according to laws against terrorism” they said.

"Thereafter the Police openly called to file complaints against me if there were any, giving some time to do so. 30 persons filed 300 complaints and many of were due to jealousy. Finally CID announced that their investigations have not found any evidence linking me to the terrorists."

" Immediately after that we the Muslim MPs informed Ministers Kabeer Hashim and Haleem to return to their portfolios. However, I and Minister Rauf Hakeem together decided to not to return to Ministerial portfolios since we were very hurt that the UNP, to whom we have been extending our political support sincerely to bring it to power, failed to stand together with us at this critical time, and did not voice or talk about our innocence regarding the false accusations on bombings, thereby leaving us to face it all alone and on our own. We were isolated during that political turmoil and felt very seriously threatened, with no political backing. At that very moment, we had to stand shouldering the burden of preserving the country’s peace, international goodwill, the safety of our community -all burdens at the same time."

"Therefore the only choice left to us was to continue to stay away from the cabinet portfolios” said Minister Bathiudeen and added: “Muslim countries stood with Sri Lanka when the human rights investigations were pursued by Geneva. At that time former President Mahinda Rajapaksa sent me and some other Muslim Ministers to visit Muslim countries to canvass their support to Sri Lanka, and we got their assistane-along with various types of reliefs from them as well. At the end of the war, Sri Lanka could not afford to buy crude oil since we were short of cash and after Muslim Parliamentarians’ request, Iran stepped in to give Sri Lanka crude oil for six months on credit, to the value of $250 Mn.”