Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera described Ududumbara Kashyapa Thera, the Buddhist monk who launched a hunger strike against the Millenium Challenge Corporation (MCC) grant agreement as a protestor rented by Gotabhaya Rajapaksa.

Samaraweera was the one who presented the Cabinet paper pertaining to the Millenium Challenge Corporation to the Cabinet meeting last week.

In a tweet, Samaraweera said the agreement would not be signed without putting it before Parliament.

However, in a letter to the monk last night, NDF Presidential candidate Sajith Premadasa assured that the agreement would not be signed before the Presidential election.

Premadasa added that the Buddhist monks, including Kashyapa Thera, would be consulted on the content of the agreement.