People hoots at Mervin at D.A. Rajapaksa Commemmoration; Mervin too hoots back!

Former Minister Mervin Silva who was present for the commemorative ceremony of Late Mr. D.A. Rajapaksa, father of former Mahinda Rajapaksa held at new Town Hall without permission was hooted at by the audience present and as a result he had hooted in return and fled from the place, it was reported.

A commemorative speech by former Supreme Court Judge Sarath N. Silva was included in the
agenda of the ceremony and the aforesaid incident had taken place at a time when the crowd was streaming in to listen to the speech. At that moment the chief guest the former President had not arrived. Mervin Silva had come and had been walking here and there when those of the audience were seated and in the process he had neen engaged in an exchange of words with former Minister Geethanjana Goonewardena over some matter. What he had said was that Mervin had made allegations to him at a Sirasa programme relayed last morning saying that he is a 'rilawa' and it was not moralistic for him to attend the ceremony in this manner.

After a short while Mervin had taken steps to pay tribute to the D.A. Rajapaksa photograph which was placed on the stage by keeping a floral tribute there when the crowd at the back of him had begun to hoot at Mervin and the situation had subsequently become worse. Because of the low-grade circumstances that prevailed, distinguished members of the audience had nothing but to look at each other's face and the victim Mervin was placed in a position where he could no longer remain there. As Mervin responded by himself hooting by cupping his palm and keeping it close to his mouth at the moment when the audience were booing him, the significance of the commemoration event lost its importance. Later, Mervin who started reprimanding the audience left the premises escorted by a person who apparently gave the impression that he was a private security man of Mervin even before Mahinda arrived there for the ceremony. Later on Mervin who got inside his vehicle told the media that he came there to pay gratitude to D.A. Rajapaksa who gave him the opportunity to enter Politics and that where Mahinda went wrong was because of those 'nari' and that it was for that reason he is with the lions. What Mervin's security man said was that they came because Mahinda invited and that the 'return' would be given to those who hooted.

Organisers of the ceremony in fact had not made an invitation to Mervin Silva, it was later understood. It was Mervin Silva who made some complaints to the Criminal Investigation Department against Basil and Gotabhaya about corruption and white vans.