The controversial uniform of a newly created unit of the Jaffna Municipal Council was based on a similar uniform worn by a unit of the Colombo Municipal Council and not the “Police” Unit of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), according to under fire Jaffna Mayor Visvalingam Manivannan.“This special unit, intended to deal with environmental issues, was created about a month ago after I made an internal transfer of a few officers. We only copied the uniform of some units of the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) and these uniforms were given so that the public could easily recognise them as they engage in cleaning up the environment,” Manivannan told The Morning yesterday (11).However, Manivannan added that he was prepared to change the uniforms if instructed to do so.“I am yet to receive such instructions from any authority though,” Manivannan said.On Friday (9), Police Media Spokesperson Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Ajith Rohana said that the Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) had taken Manivannan into custody for allegedly promoting the uniform of the “self-styled Police Unit” of the LTTE terrorist organisation. Although Rohana stated at the time that promoting symbols of the LTTE is an offence under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), Manivannan was later charged under the Penal Code. He was released on bail on the same day.According to Manivannan, his next court date is scheduled for 28 June.Meanwhile, Manivannan’s arrest raised widespread condemnation from prominent Tamil political parties.“The Government has said many times that there is no evidence at all of the LTTE regrouping. If so, why this irrational distrust of the Tamils or paranoia about LTTE and Tiger uniforms?” questioned Thamil Makkal Thesiya Kuttani (TMTK) Leader and former Northern Province Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran in a statement to the press on Friday.In a social media statement, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) said that Manivannan had been arrested on the “most ludicrous claim, given that he only authorised a uniform that is very similar to the traffic wardens of the CMC.”Speaking in Parliament on Friday, Tamil National People’s Front (TNPF) President Gajen Ponnambalam said that the attempt by the Government to portray Manivannan as trying to resurrect the LTTE is “preposterous”.“Under the municipal councils in various parts of the country, including Colombo, there are various sections that are created for parking tickets to be issued and likewise. For a person who has used a light blue colour to create such a unit is preposterous. If this is not political victimisation, I do not know what is,” said Ponnambalam.Ponnambalam added that while he is “no fan of the Jaffna Mayor”, political victimisation of this nature was “fascism”, as the Government continues to militarise the country on one hand while stirring racism on the other.The TID had recorded evidence from multiple parties for the investigations into the matter.
