The Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs Ministry has stated that it is actively working to identify the land ownership of the Tissa Viharaya in Kankesanthurai (KKS), but claims that its progress was disturbed by an organised group with intentions to disrupt national unity.

Speaking to The Daily Morning, the Deputy Subject Minister Gamagedara Dissanayake said  the Ministry is collaborating with the Land Ministry to solve the longstanding dispute. He alleged that a group was led consciously to create conflict at the site.

This announcement follows the arrest of five individuals by the Palali Police for participating in an unlawful protest outside the Viharaya in the Thaisetti Grama Seva Division on 21 December. The suspects were produced before the Mallakam Magistrate’s Court, released on bail of Rs. 100,000 each, and are scheduled to reappear on 26 January of next year (2026). The protest was organised by a group including Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi Parliamentarian S. Sridharan, demanding the return of the Temple's lands to the civilian population. A clash erupted when protesters attempted to forcibly enter the Temple premises. In February of this year (2025) too, Sridharan had warned the Government of their intention to remove the Temple, referring to it as an illegal construction.

The Temple in Thaiyiddy has been a controversial site for years. The People’s Alliance of Rights to Land accuses it of being built on land belonging to 18 Jaffna District residents who left during the civil war, which was later acquired by the security forces. Protests have occurred since 2020, and the Government has not yet recognised the land's ownership.