Vanni TNA MP attacked, escapes unhurt

[TamilNet, Thursday, 07 August 2003, 16:54 GMT]
The Vanni district Member of Parliament from the Tamil National Alliance, Mr. T. Sivashakthi Anandan, was assaulted at his home village of Semamadu in the Vavuniya district Thursday morning, during a meeting on Rehabilitation and Reconstruction, by a youth who had a private dispute with the MP, sources in a Vavuniya said.

The Public, Sri Lankan Government officials and officials of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam participated at the meeting, chaired by the Vavuniya Government Agent, Mr. K. Ganesh, where the attack took place, the sources said.

The MP was not hurt in the attack and escaped by a hair, but the Vavuniya Divisional Secretary, who attempted to intervene to stop the attack, was slightly injured, the sources said.

The attack happened so suddenly that people at the meeting did not realize what was happening, the sources said. However, the public captured the attacker and removed him from the school building where the meeting took place, and the meeting continued smoothly, the sources said.

Speaking at the meeting, Mr. Anandan said that he and the other TNA MPs were ready to take all steps to expedite the resettlement and rehabilitation in the Vanni region.

The public of the area apologized to the Vavniya GA for the commotion caused by the youth’s attack and said that they deplored the violence at the meeting, the sources added.