by Cyril Wimalasurendre
"We experienced an incident of the worst type of political violence in the history of Nuwara Eliya, last Tuesday" observed the Gampaha District UNP candidate Anura Bandaranaike yesterday.

Mr . Bandaranaike at a media conference held at Mahaweli Reach hotel Kandy said that over 300 armed persons obstructed the convoy of vehicles carrying some UNP candidates including him and their supporters to a meeting at Nuwara Eliya and created a scene of havoc at a bend near Kandapola.

The gang members were masked and behaved like a mob lawlessly attacking people and vehicles. The gang toppled the motor car of Nuwara Eliya District candidate and former minister Renuka Herath causing serious injuries to at least four occupants of the vehicle, Mr. Bandaranaike said.

The injured crept out of the vehicle heavily bleeding on Tuesday, he noted.

Mr. Bandaranaike said Renuka Herath hasescaped as she was travelling in his motor vehicle.

"In the convoy of vehicles carrying the mob I saw a younger brother of a Minister. He is a minister of the Central Provincial Council" he alleged.

"We were proceeding towards Nuwara Eliya to the venue of the meeting after having had a propaganda meeting at Walapane when we came under attack.

"What is sinister is that the police at Nuwara Eliya observed silence and motionless despite their awareness of what was taking place", Bandaranaike accused adding that the attack on the UNP candidates and their supporters was launched with the knowledge of the Nuwara Eliya police.

"Ten to fifteen persons sustained injuries of severe nature while many others escaped with minor injuries. Several motor vehicles were damaged", he said.

A defender type jeeps included the convoy that carried the armed and masked gang , Bandaranaike recalled.

"The president who has pledged a free and fair election should be held responsible for this nature of violence, though she is out of the country", he said.

"The president would have given the necessary instructions for the police to maintain peace and take appropriate action against the culprits. If not her pledge of a free and fair election will be only a myth", he added.

Nuwara Eliya District UNP candidate Navin Dissanayake while condemning the brutal attack on the UNPers on Tuesday said that his father late Gamini Dissanayake carried out national politics in Nuwara Eliya from two different political parties but never experienced an ugly incident as what took place near Kandapola.

"What is worse is that the different attitude of the police towards the UNP", he said.

Kandy District UNP candidate Kesera Senanayake disclosed an incident of political violence on Tuesday where he accompanied a group of supporters.