Sri Lanka's main Muslim minority party, a key ally of the ruling coalition, has come under fire from the government even as the country faces a crucial UN human rights resolution this month.
Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) leader Rauff Hakeem was involved in a spat in the cabinet meeting when President Mahinda Rajapaksa fired a salvo at him for providing a report to UN human rights chief Navi Pillay over government inaction on attacks against religious minorities.
"The SLMC leader has violated the principal of collective responsibility. He has shown that he is capable of betraying the country," Faizer Mustapha, a deputy minister said.
Hakeem downplayed the simmering discontent around him and his party within the ruling coalition headed by Rajapaksa.
"Some are forcing us to quit the government. If we decided to leave it will be disastrous for the government," Hakeem hit back adding that his party holds the balance of power in the ruling coalition's ability to govern the eastern province.
Hakeem's party throughout last year had voiced concern over increasing attacks against Muslim religious places and businesses.
The party's comments on religious attacks against Muslim interests, the government alleges, has formed the thrust of Pillay's report on Sri Lanka.
Pillay's report calls for an independent international investigation into alleged war crimes in the final stages of Sri Lanka's civil war in May 2009.
The UN Human Rights Council is certain to adopt another adverse resolution later this month in Geneva censuring Sri Lanka on its lack of progress on human rights accountability and reconciliation with its Tamil minority after the civil war ended with the defeat of the LTTE.
India had backed the previous two resolutions.
