Kandy - The Maha Nayake Thera of the Malwatte Chapter Most Ven. Tibbatuwawe Sri Siddhartha Sumangala yesterday denied media reports that he had signed a document asking for a pardon for the jailed parliamentarian S. B. Dissanayaka.

In a statement made yesterday (21) the prelate said some sections of the media reported that he had done so, but he was not prepared to oppose any judgement made by the Courts of Law.

The prelate recalled that the Maha Sangha wished to hold a public protest against the decision to deprive the civic rights of late Premier Sirimavo Bandaranaike two decades ago but the President at the time J. R. Jayewardene ordered the meeting to be cancelled. Then that meeting of the Maha Sangha was held in the premises of the Asgiriya Maha Vihara.