The Attorney General today filed indictment against Uduwe Dhammaloka Thera on two counts under the Flora and Fauna Act and the Public Properties Act over the alleged possession of a baby elephant at Alan Mathiniyarama without a licence in or around January 28.

Dhammaloka Thera was recently arrested over the alleged possession of the elephant and was later released on bail.

The Department of Wildlife Conservation discovered the elephant cub at the Alan Mathiniyaramaya in January 2015. The two-and-a-half-year-old elephant calf was taken into custody by the Department of Wildlife Conservation. The baby elephant was not registered under the name of Chief Incumbent Uduwe Dhammaloka Thera or the temple.

The Sri Lanka Freedom Party will take strict action against MPs who were involved in the clash in Parliament yesterday, party Treasurer S.B. Dissanayake said.

Minister Dissanayake told media today that the party has the right to take disciplinary action against such erring MPs.

The MPs could face possible expulsion from the party.

Meanwhile, a report on the clash between MPs was handed over to the Speaker a short while ago by Deputy Speaker Thilanga Sumathipala and Deputy Chairman of the Committees Selvam Adaikkalanathan.

The Speaker called for the report yesterday following the clash between 'Joint Opposition' MPs and the UNP MPs. One UNP MP was admitted to hospital following the clash.

The clash occurred when Minister of Regional Development Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka spoke on the reduction of security to former President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

The 'Joint Opposition' meanwhile said that the clash was started by Deputy Minister Palitha Thewarapperuma who allegedly attacked UPFA MP Prasanna Ranaweera.

The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam supremo and Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalalithaa on Saturday asserted her party would take “continuous steps” to attain a separate homeland for Tamils in Sri Lanka and demand that the Centre grant dual citizenship for refugees from the island nation living in the state.

Addressing a huge election rally in Tiruchirappalli, she said she has been continuously demanding an independent, international probe over war crimes and alleged genocide against Tamils in Sri Lanka. “So as to enable Sri Lankan Tamils live with full freedom and self-respect and to attain a separate Eelam, continuous steps will be taken,” she said. Launching a diatribe against arch rival Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam over the Sri Lankan Tamils issue, she alleged that DMK and Congress were together responsible for the destruction of Sri Lankan Tamils.

"We will urge the central government to confer dual citizenship on Sri Lankan Tamils living here so that they can easily get job opportunities,” she said. Noting that Sri Lankan Tamils have for long been living in and outside camps in Tamil Nadu, she said her regime was giving them all facilities.

“There are also people who were born to refugees here and raised in the state. When the central government tried to repatriate them all, it was opposed by my government.” She stressed that her party’s policy was that any repatriation should be voluntary and based on the choice of refugees “after the situation in Sri Lanka, including security aspects changes fully, (for the better)”.

Jayalalithaa accused DMK of staging “dramas” over the issue against their interests. Such farce included a ‘three hour hunger strike” by party chief Karunanidhi, she said. “Not only for Tamils here, he also betrayed Tamils in Sri Lanka,” she said. She recalled that the Tamil Nadu assembly had passed several resolutions on the Sri Lankan issue moved by her.

Some of these included her demand for economic sanctions against Sri Lanka, an international probe against ‘war crimes’ and another related to a referendum (that she wanted to be sponsored by India in the UN forum) among Tamils on the question of a separate Eelam (Tamil homeland).

Jayalalithaa's comments came shortly after The Hindu reported that Sri Lankan politicians have very little interest in Tamil Nadu politics because it was no big factor for Sri Lankans. The Tamil Nadu political parties have been trying to bring up Sri Lanka related issues from time to time during the election campaign.

(With inputs from PTI)

Senior DIG Pujitha Jayasundara has been appointed as the Inspector General of Police, President's Media Division said.

The Constitutional Council recommended Jayasundara for the position of IGP two days ago.

Acting IGP S. M. Wickremesinghe, and Senior DIG Chandana Wickremeratne were among the three candidates who were nominated for the post.

Jayasundara is the 34th IGP of the Sri Lanka Police.

Former Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP and Spokesperson Suresh Premachandran said that TNA Leader R. Sampanthan’s actions and decisions are questionable.

He made this observation at a press conference in Jaffna, replying to a question raised by a journalist.

Premachandran further said that army should be removed from Northern and Eastern Provinces and people should be resettled. Political prisoners should be released, he demanded.

“Sampanthan’s position is not clear in recent times. The President and the Prime Minister state that they would provide us a unified solution. They state that amalgamation of North and East will not happen. However, what we asked for was a federal solution unifying two provinces. Sampanthan’s standpoint is different from Prime Minister’s, hence we need to negotiate with the government”, Premachandran stated.

Reacting to Premachandran’s statement, Sampanthan had stated that he is ‘fishing in troubled waters’ thus should not be given much consideration to his such statements.

Former Army Commander Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka today made a startling accusation at former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa, alleging that he was responsible for the death of a soldier during his army career.

Speaking at a special press conference held in Colombo this morning, Fonseka said that Rajapaksa was serving in the Singha Regiment at the time of the said incident.

He went into the forest one day with a group of soldiers but it was not for a military operation, Fonseka said.

While in the forest, a soldier complained of chest pains, and Rajapaksa ordered him to be dragged on the ground, Fonseka claimed. He also claimed that Rajapaksa kicked the soldier while he was being dragged.

The soldier ultimately died, enraging the other soldiers, who then assaulted Rajapaksa, Fonseka also claimed.

Rajapaksa stayed on in the army only through pulling some political strings, Fonseka went on to say.

Fonseka challenged Rajapaksa to proove if he was wrong, claiming that he has proof of Rajapaksa's wrongdoing.

UPFA MP Dilum Amunugama said yesterday that the 'Joint Opposition' backing former PResident Mahinda Rajapaksa will definitely form a new party.

Speaking at the signing of the petition in defence of the war heroes at Kandy, he said that there was no secret of the intention to form a new party.

The name and the symbol of the party will be revealed once the government decides to call the Local Government Polls, Amunugama said.

"Mahinda Rajapaksa is our leader. The rest will be revealed once the election is announced", Amunugama said.

Some 'Joint Opposition' Members including almost all non-SLFP UPFA MPs have been insisting that the new party will be formed to face the Local Elections. However, political sources also said that several SLFP MPs of the 'Joint Opposition' were planning to remain in opposition while not joining the new party. They were against the national government but also against the division of the SLFP, sources also said.

Former Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa arrived at the police Financial Crimes Investigations Division a short while ago.

He was summoned to record a statement over alleged misappropriation during several land deals.

Complaints have been made over several land deals including the acquisition of a 1.5 acre land in Oruthota and the construction of a house in the land. Complaints have also been received on a land and a house in Malwana area.

An estimated 1,200 people, mostly Sri Lankan Tamil refugees, died at sea while undertaking dangerous journey by boat to reach Australia, The Hindu reported, citing Australia's Consul-General in South India Sean Kelly.

The deaths were believed to have occurred between 2008 and 2013, Kelly said on Friday.

Elaborating on the Australian government’s tough border protection measures called ‘Operation Sovereign Borders’, he said it was impossible for anyone coming by boat without a visa to settle in Australia.

People undertaking such long and dangerous journey by boat were being intercepted and safely removed from Australian waters or sent to another country for regional processing.

Resettlement in Australia would never be an option, he emphasized.

“Between 2008 and 2013, it is estimated that over 1,200 people died at sea trying to reach Australia. There were no known incidents under ‘Operation Sovereign Borders’ involving loss of life since December 2013,” he said.

Commending the ‘Q’ Branch CID of the Tamil Nadu police for intercepting and apprehending some suspects who tried to take some Sri Lankan Tamil refugees to New Zealand recently, Kelly said he had reasons to believe that the refugees were actually promised a trip to Australia.

The distance between the Tamil Nadu coast and Australia was about 3,000 nautical miles and New Zealand was even farther, The Hindu pointed out in its report.

“People smuggling is an evil and criminal activity that must be opposed in every form it takes. Such smugglers steal peoples’ money and put their lives in danger…ultimately they do not give people what they promise. The Australian government has taken a firm decision to make it impossible for the people smugglers to sell their product,” Kelly said.

The only way for Sri Lankan Tamil refugees to seek a refugee status in Australia was to return to their home country and approach through the United Nations High Commissioner Refugees.

(With inputs from The Hindu)

Democratic Party leader Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka requested the President and the Prime Miister to remove the likes of Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe in order to establish good governance in the country.

Speaking at a press conference yesterday, Fonseka said that Rajapakshe was a serious obstacle to the establishment of good governance.

People voted for President Sirisena to establish good governance, Fonseka recalled, adding that Rajapakshe was acting contrary to those aspirations.

Fonseka pointed out that Rajapakshe had not acted against the Avant-Garde Maritime Services company due to personal connections.

Although the Attorney General gave instructions to arrest MP Hirunika Premachandra "within a week", he is "tongue-tied and unable to make a decision regarding the transactions of Avant-Garde amounting to millions and keeps pushing and pulling it", Fonseka told the media.

He asked if arresting Premachandra was more important than taking action against people who had allegedly threatened the national security.

Fonseka accused Justice Minister Wijedasa Rajapaksa of spreading false information on the agreement between the government and the Avant-Garde company. Rajapakshe said that the agreement consists of 3,000 pages, whereas it actually consists of merely ten pages, Fonseka claimed.

Meanwhile, Sarath Fonseka also commented on Rajapakshe's accusation that he was "mentally retarded", saying that Rajapakshe lives in freedom since the "mentally retarded" person led the army to victory against the LTTE. When someone shot at Rajapakshe's house, it was the same "mentally retarded person who arrived at the scene before anyone else did, he added.