Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) General Secretary Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thera today cautioned that the authority of the Buddhist clergy must remain unquestioned, following tensions in Trincomalee stemming from the removal of a Buddha statue and an enforcement operation by the Coast Conservation Department.
The unrest broke out when police intervened as Coast Conservation officials attempted to take action against a building adjacent to the Sri Sambuddha Jayanthi Bodhiraja Vihara. The situation escalated into protests involving monks and local residents, resulting in two monks—including Chief Incumbent Ven. Trincomalee Kalyanawamsathissa Thero—being admitted to hospital.
Addressing the incident, Gnanasara Thera reiterated that Buddhism, with its unbroken 2,000-year history, must not be challenged. He further declared that the police have no authority to remove Buddha statues anywhere in the country and urged that such incidents must not be repeated.
