A peaceful protest was held in front of the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy yesterday (16) with the participation of about 200 Buddhists. The agitation was allegedly carried out by Diyawadana Nilame Pradeep Nilanga Dela, the lay trustee of the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy.
Against corruption and lawlessness against law enforcement. He has been charged with fraudulently misappropriating gold, silver, pearls, dollars, real estate and other items donated to the Sacred Tooth Relic.
According to placards in the hands of the protesters, Pradeep Nilanga has also been accused of killing palace workers. The billboards also showed complaints made against him by various individuals, that the police did not properly investigate passengers, and that bribes were paid to monks and public servants in order to get votes during his election campaign.
According to Buddhist philosophy, a person who is accused of such an act should be temporarily removed from his post and the relevant allegations should be investigated, but the law will not be enforced against him under the pressure of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa. Protesters have also pointed out that major media outlets, as well as some newspaper editors, do not publicize these heinous crimes on the basis of their bribes. Meanwhile, when they heard that another group of thugs had been deployed by Pradeep Nilanga Dela to attack the protesters, they had informed the Kandy SSP. Protesters have called for an end to the attacks, saying they would be retaliated against and would be “disrespectful to Buddhism”. Accordingly, the police had to provide the police with the necessary security to carry out their protests.
Earlier in the day, employees of the Illegal Media Unit at the Temple of the Tooth had posted threatening messages on their Facebook accounts. In the midst of all these obstacles, a very peaceful protest was held and dispersed with the message that if the law is not enforced against the allegations, a massive protest will be organized again three months later and on the same day Pradeep Nilanga Delawa will have to be expelled from the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy.
