B. Deniswaran Explained
Balasubramaniam Deniswaran (Tamil: பாலசுப்பிரமணியம் டெனிஸ்வரன்) is a Sri Lankan Tamil lawyer, politician and former provincial minister.
Career
Deniswaran is lawyer.[1] He contested the 2013 provincial council election as one of the Tamil National Alliance's candidates in Mannar District and was elected to the Northern Provincial Council.[2] [3] After the election he was appointed Minister of Fisheries, Transport, Trade and Rural Development.[4] [5] He took his oath as minister and provincial councillor in front of Chief Minister C. V. Vigneswaran at Veerasingam Hall on 11 October 2013.[6] [7]
Dismissal
Starting in late 2016, several charges of irregular practices were levelled against the four provincial ministers for Northern Province.[8] Chief Minister Vigneswaran appointed a three-member committee consisting of retired judge S. Thiyakenthiran (chair), retired judge S. Paramarajah and retired District Secretary S. Patmanathan to investigate the charges.[9] [10] In June 2017 the NPC was plunged into chaos after Chief Minister Vigneswaran asked P. Ayngaranesan and T. Kurukularajah to resign after the three-member committee found evidence to substantiate charges of corruption, abuse of power and misuse of funds levelled against the two ministers.[11] [12] Vigneswaran also requested that the two other ministers, Deniswaran and P. Sathiyalingam, who had been exonerated by the committee, to go on leave.[13] [14]
On 14 June 2017 a motion of no confidence against Vigneswaran was handed to Governor Reginald Cooray by several ITAK and opposition members of the NPC.[15] [16] This resulted in the Tamil People's Council, led by Vigneswaran, organising hartals across Northern Province in support of Vigneswaran.[17] [18] Following mediation by religious leaders a compromise was agreed between Vigneswaran and the ITAK/TNA leadership on 19 June 2017 whereby Vigneswaran would withdraw the request for Deniswaran and Sathiyalingam to go on leave and in return ITAK would withdraw the motion of no confidence against Vigneswaran.[19] [20] [21] The central committee of Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization met on 20 August 2017 and suspended Deniswaran from the party for six months.[22] [23] He was removed from his ministerial position on 23 August 2017.[24] [25] Deniswaran has however written to Cooray, challenging the legality of the removal.[26]
Notes and References
- News: Mannar Bar Association elects new president. TamilNet. 18 March 2006.
- PART I : SECTION (I) — GENERAL Government Notifications PROVINCIAL COUNCILS ELECTIONS ACT, No. 2 OF 1988 Northern Province Provincial Council . 25 September 2013 . The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Extraordinary . 1829/33 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20131228114115/http://www.documents.gov.lk/Extgzt/2013/PDF/Sep/1829_33/PG%201763%20%28E%29%20%20I-%201%20%20%28P.C%29.pdf . 2013-12-28 .
- News: PROVINCIAL COUNCIL ELECTIONS 2013 – Results and preferential votes: Northern Province. The Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka). 26 September 2013.
- News: ITAK announces NPC ministers, EPRLF challenges. TamilNet. 10 October 2013.
- News: Sri Lanka's first Tamil CM announces Cabinet. The New Indian Express. Press Trust of India. 10 October 2013. 17 August 2020.
- News: NPC members take oath in Jaffna after honouring fallen Tamil Heroes. TamilNet. 11 October 2013.
- News: Northern Provincial Council TNA members take oaths . . 11 October 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20131014080431/http://www.sundaytimes.lk/latest/38525-northern-provincial-council-tna-members-take-oaths.html . 2013-10-14 .
- News: Balachandran. P. K.. Charges against Northern Province Ministers signal shift in Sri Lankan Tamil politics. 9 July 2017. NewsIn.Asia. 14 June 2017.
- News: Ayub. M. S. M.. Wigneswaran 's anti-corruption drive eclipsed by sectarian politics. 9 July 2017. The Daily Mirror. 16 June 2017. Colombo, Sri Lanka.
- News: Heads to Roll at NPC?. 9 July 2017. The Nation. 10 June 2017. Colombo, Sri Lanka. https://web.archive.org/web/20170828230633/http://nation.lk/online/2017/06/10/heads-to-roll-at-npc.html. 28 August 2017. dead.
- News: No confidence motion against Sri Lanka's Northern province CM. 9 July 2017. The New Indian Express/Press Trust of India. 15 June 2017. Chennai, India.
- News: Thangarasa. Sumithi. Wigneswaran calls for the resignation of two Provincial Ministers. 9 July 2017. Daily News. 14 June 2017. Colombo, Sri Lanka.
- News: Srinivasan. Meera. ‘No confidence’ in CM Wigneswaran. 9 July 2017. The Hindu. 15 June 2017. Chennai, India.
- News: Kamalendran. Chris. TNA, Wigneswaran in battle for North. 9 July 2017. The Sunday Times. 18 June 2017. Colombo, Sri Lanka.
- News: Thangarasa. Sumithi. No Confidence Motion against Wigneswaran. 9 July 2017. Daily News. 15 June 2017. Colombo, Sri Lanka.
- News: 21 Northern Provincial councillors declare no-confidence in Chief Minister. 9 July 2017. Tamil Guardian. 14 June 2017.
- News: Hartal in Jaffna in protest of attempts to oust Chief Minister Wigneswaran. 9 July 2017. Tamil Guardian. 16 June 2017.
- News: Imtiaz. Zahrah. Confidence on Wiggie: TNA split. 9 July 2017. Daily News. 17 June 2017. Colombo, Sri Lanka.
- News: Srinivasan. Meera. Uncertainty ends in Sri Lanka’s Northern Province. 9 July 2017. The Hindu. 19 June 2017. Chennai, India.
- News: NPC cools down. 9 July 2017. The Island. 20 June 2017. Colombo, Sri Lanka.
- News: Imtiaz. Zahrah. ITAK withdraws petition of no-confidence Wiggie and Sam call it even. 9 July 2017. Daily News. 20 June 2017. Colombo, Sri Lanka.
- News: Jayarathna. Rishini. TELO Suspends Deniswaran. 27 August 2017. Ceylon Today. 22 August 2017. Colombo, Sri Lanka.
- News: B. Deniswarans’ party membership suspended. 27 August 2017. Daily News. 21 August 2017. Colombo, Sri Lanka.
- News: Deneeswaran removed from Cabinet. 27 August 2017. Daily News. 23 August 2017. Colombo, Sri Lanka.
- News: Thambiah. Mirudhula. NPC appoints new Ministers. 27 August 2017. Ceylon Today. 24 August 2017. Colombo, Sri Lanka.
- News: Rajasingham. K. T.. Two New Ministers Sworn In, Despite Deniswaran Threat Of Legal Action Against The Governor. 27 August 2017. Asian Tribune. 23 August 2017.