Jaffna students burn Tamil minister’s effigy

[TamilNet, Thursday, 29 November 2001, 14:02 GMT]
The effigy of Mr. Douglas Devananda, Minister for Rehabilitation and Reconstruction (North) in Peoples' Alliance Government who is the leader of the Eelam Peoples Democratic Party was set on fire Thursday around 1.30 p.m. by Jaffna undergrads on the campus grounds of the Jaffna University in Tinnelvely, Jaffna. Meanwhile, people in the village of Pannaikattaiadi in Pt. Pedro in Jaffna beat up an armed gang of EPDP cadres who had allegedly attempted to kill a United National Party candidate Thursday morning around 11 a.m. The villagers seized two assault rifles and a pistol from the EPDP cadres and handed them over to the Police, sources said.

A spokesman for the UNP in Jaffna said that an armed gang of the EPDP stormed the house of the candidate, Mr. Isaki Muthu Arunasalam, Thursday morning, but party supporters who were there had overpowered them after a struggle. On hearing the news villagers of the area rushed to the scene and assaulted the armed men severely. Later all the armed cadres were handed over to the Police along with their weapons, residents of Pannaikattaiadi said.

In the University of Jaffna, the effigy of Mr. Douglas Devananda was taken in a procession by students who shouted slogans condemning the EPDP for brutally attacking Tamil National Alliance candidates and supporters yesterday in the island of Kayts. Later the students set the effigy on fire, university sources said.