Former JHU Parliamentarian Omalpe Sobhitha Thera commended Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa's proposal to make temple visits mandatory for Buddhists.

Rajapaksa recently said laws should be introduced making it compulsory to make temple visits compulsory for Buddhists at least once a week or on Poya days.

Sobhitha Thera said such a proposal would inculcate good values among the youth and turn them into responsible citizens.

The senior Buddhist monk added that the Buddhist community across the country would support such a proposal and described it as an invaluable initiative carried out by the Prime Minister.

However, Sobhitha Thera expressed doubts about whether the move would be successful as certain elements within the Government were working to undermine the efforts of the Prime Minister.