Three-member committee to probe Sri Lankan batter Danushka Gunathilaka incident
Colombo (PTI): A three-member panel will probe the alleged sexual assault by Sri Lankan batter Danushka Gunathilaka during the T20 World Cup in Australia, the country's cricket board said on Tuesday.
The probe panel comprising retired High Court judge Justice Sisira Ratnayake, attorney Niroshana Perera and attorney Asela Rekawa will also investigate various other alleged incidents involving the reigning Asia Cup winners during their stay in Australia, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) stated.
"Upon submission of the said report by the panel, the Executive Committee of Sri Lanka Cricket will take stern disciplinary action against the players and or officials if proved guilty of any wrongdoing or negligence when carrying out official duties," SLC said.
The panel will seek an immediate explanation from the team manager pertaining to Gunathilaka's conduct and other incidents, it added.
There are also reports of "a fight involving another player in a Brisbane casino".
The 31-year-old left-hander, who was arrested on Sunday ahead of the team's departure from Australia, was Monday denied bail by a local court in Sydney, even as the SLC suspended him from all forms of the game with immediate effect.
The Sri Lankan team, which failed to qualify for the semi-finals after finishing fourth in Group 1, had left Australia without Gunathilaka on Saturday.
Gunathilaka was out for a duck in his solitary appearance against Namibia in their Super 12 qualification match.
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Catholic Bishops' body slams Bhagwat's remarks
New Delhi: The Catholic Bishops' Conference of India on Thursday slammed RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat for his reported remark that Pranab Mukherjee, when he was President, had said tribals would turn "anti-national" if there is no "ghar wapsi"Catholic Bishops.'
In a statement issued here, CBCI, a body of Catholic Bishops, referred to reports which said Bhagwat, at an event on Monday, claimed that Mukherjee, while he was President had appreciated ghar wapsi and told him that had it not been for the Sangh's work on reconversion, a section of Adivasis would have turned "anti-national".The CBCI called the report "shocking".
"Fabricated personal conversation being attributed to a former president of India and its posthumous publication with the vested interest of an organization with questionable credibility raises a grave issue of national importance," the CBCI claimed.
"Is it not the violent ghar wapsi program of VHP and other similar organizations, curtailing the exercise of freedom of conscience of economically deprived tribals, the real anti-national activity?" it asked.
'Ghar wapsi' is a term used by the RSS and affiliated organisations to refer to reconversion of Muslims and Christians to Hinduism, based on the belief that they were originally Hindus before converting to other religions.
The CBCI also questioned why Bhagwat did not speak about it while Mukherjee was alive.
"We, the 2.3 percent of Indian citizens who are Christians feel extremely hurt by such manipulated and motivated propaganda unleashed," it said.
In a post on X following the statement issued by CBCI, Trinamool Congress leader Derek O'Brien said, "Speak up. This is a start!"
"Bishops body have issued a statement condemning remarks made by Dr Mohan Bhagwat and RSS for defaming the Christian community," he said.
O'Brien added that they should ask Prime Minister Narendra Modi more questions, including why Christmas Day has been turned into "Good Governance Day".
The TMC leader, in a blogpost earlier this month, had said "hard questions" must be asked to the government with regards to the Christian community, including why the FCRA has been 'weaponised', and why has Manipur been 'ignored'.
