Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday launched what seemed to be a covert attack on the arrest of Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thera, General Secretary of the Bodu Bala Sena organization. 

 

"The law of the country should be equal to everyone. There cannot be one law for Hirunika and one law for 'apey hamuduruwo' (Gnanasara Thera). If that is the case, we cannot be satisfied about that," the former President said speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a party meeting held in Boralesgamuwa. 

 

It was the first time the former President made a statement on the arrest of the General Secretary of the BBS, an organization that backed Rajapaksa at the Presidential election in Januar, last year.

 

At the place where the meeting was held, a banner promoting 'Our Sri Lanka Freedom Front' was displayed. It was hugely speculated that the group supporting the former President had already made plans to form a new party under the same name, with the symbol 'flower bud'. 

 

However, when asked about that the former President said it was not a new party. 

 

"It is an old party and they had a convention. There is no new party," Rajapaksa said while leaving the meeting premises. 

 

Former Economic Development Basil Rajapaksa and former Minister, UPFA Parliamentarian Gamini Lokuge were also present at the meeting.