Talks Tomorrow Over Dambulla Issue
By Raisa Wickrematunge
Police have said that the disagreement in Dambulla over the construction of a mosque will be resolved tomorrow (23) at a special meeting with officials from the Buddhist and Religious Affairs Ministry.
Tension arose in Dambulla when protestors, including Buddhist monks, marched towards a mosque located near the Kandalama junction on Friday, and demanded that it be torn down.
Police spokesman Ajith Rohana said that the protestors however were later dispersed and that the situation was calm. Over 2000 people participated in the protest, reports from the area said.
Ajith Rohana said the Buddhist priests were claiming that the land the mosque was built on belonged to the Dambulla temple, while the Muslims said that the land had been given to them.
However, he said that there would be a meeting to decide on the issue tomorrow.
Despite this, a member of the Dambulla Divisional Secretariat reportedly said that the mosque was an unauthorized construction which had to be demolished.
