Eye-brows were raised in both government and opposition circles when Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and Anura Bandaranaike had lunch together with Plantations Minister Lakshman Kiriella in Parliament on Thursday, the day the Government-LTTE MoU was debated.

Seeing them at lunch, Rauff Hakeem was eager to know what the trio was discussing.

When Hakeem inquired, Lakshman Kiriella has quipped that Ranil and Anura were completing 25 years in Parliament in July and he (Kiriella) was planning to propose a felicitation ceremony or a debate for the duo.

Hakeem not satisfied had shot back, "It looks like a political meeting to me as both are going to India shortly".

The Prime Minister had replied, "Rauff, we are friends and we now don’t discuss state affairs or politics between us."

Kiriella had chipped in to say that cross over days were gone with the conscience bill due shortly. Both Ranil, Anura and Kiriella were classmates at Royal College while Hakeem is from the same school but was not in the same class. (PG)