Lanka govt slams police for involvement in abduction attempt

Sri Lankan government today slammed its police department for their involvement in an alleged abduction attempt of a student activist, a tactic widely blamed on the former regime of Mahinda Rajapaksa.
Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera said he spoke to police chief Pujith Jayasundera to express government's dismay over the attempt to seize the student known for his anti- government stand.
"I spoke with the Inspector General of Police and he said he will take disciplinary action against those responsible," Samaraweera said on the incident which happened last night.
"We condemn this action of the police," he said.
The attempt to abduct a student activist, was a tactic widely blamed on the regime of former President Rajapaksa.

The student activist was shielded by other students who prevented him from being grabbed by the plain clothed officers.

The police said they wanted to arrest the activist for a previous incident.
Samaraweera said the current government came to power in January 2015 promising to end abductions.
According to him, the incident is an attempt to discredit the government which happened almost at the same time as President Maithripala Sirisena had put his signature to give legal effect to the office of missing persons.