(Lanka-e-News, Aug. 04, 2010, 10.20 PM) Political parties, Lawyers, Govt. Administrative officers Association, Samurdhi officers Association and a majority of Organizations have begun bitterly castigating the President and his Govt. and are protesting against permitting Deputy Minister Mervyn Silva better known as Vermin Silva to tie a Samurdhi officer to a tree.

The victim of the deplorable and high handed action of Mervyn Silva is Mohomed Nizam, a Samurdhi officer.

The JVP issuing a notice roundly condemning the action of Mervyn Silva states, a responsible Govt. officer being subjected to such humiliating treatment without any legal foundation, and a Deputy Minister of the Govt. who has been on the wrong side of the law most often and himself with a putrid antecedence acting in this manner taking the law into his hands and meting out arbitrary punishment according to his caprice and rowdy standards is something the President and the Govt. must be ashamed of. When there are enough legal measures available to take action against the officer provided he has committed a wrong, Mervyn Silva trying to parade as a paragon of virtue, like some other Ministers who are supporting him and making a ‘self glorifying scene’ imagining to attract public attention has only disgraced himself and his Govt. Though the President on platforms and stages speaks loud often about the need of safeguarding the law and maintaining discipline in the country, it is the Govt.’s own powerful politicos and others who are flagrantly violating the established laws and implementing jungle laws. When they behave in this manner instead of being exemplary, how can the Govt. expect the citizens to be law abiding, and a society that is disciplined, the JVP questions in its notice. Owing to these unlawful practices of the Govt., the entire judicial system is disintegrating with the people losing faith in the judiciary. Every individual will try to mete out justice of his own accord and take the law into his hands as a result of this anarchic environment that is stoked by the Govt. the notice points out.
If those who are responsible for encouraging this conduct and lawlessness are trying to blame the episode on Mervyn Silva and excuse themselves, it is very unfair. Mervyn Silva is conducting himself in this brutal manner because the President is keeping silent. The President and his Govt. must take full blame and responsibility for the boorish and foolish behavior of the Deputy Minister who apparently does not know his limitations neither his own weaknesses.

UNP Deputy leader Karu Jayasooriya who addressed a media briefing at the UNP media unit today (04) to condemn the action of Mervyn Silva said, this tying a Samurdhi officer to a tree by a Deputy Minister is symbolic of tying the personal freedom of all Govt. officers to the tree.

Western Provincial Council member Mujibur Rahman stated, the police officers who were present at the scene of this ugly unlawful action should be immediately interdicted for idly watching this boorish and illegal actions of this Minister without performing their duties duly when the Minister was acting like a brute following jungle laws.

Meanwhile the Govt. administrative officers Association has in no uncertain terms condemned Mervyn ‘s action.

The Samurdhi officers Association which is objecting to the shameless Deputy Minister Mervyn’s conduct is contemplating legal action against him for the disgrace he has brought upon the entire country, the judicial processes and the Govt. officers.