Speaking to BBC Sandeshaya Secretary of the police disabled war hero’s association H.M.U.S.B Herath said “it is unfair to treat Army and Police war disabled differently”.

Chief Government Whip and Minister of Water Supply, Dinesh Gunawardhana speaking at the Parliament on Wednesday said that the disabled police officers are not entitled to the same benefits as their military counterparts.

In reply to a question put forward by opposition MP Dayasiri Jayasekera, Minister Gunawardena stated that the police operate as a civil force unlike the armed forces of the country.

Insult to police

There are nearly 2500 disabled police officers and out of them about 360 officers were on compulsory medical retirement due to their disabilities.

Enemy bullets never discriminate whether we were army or police, so I strongly condemn the minsters comment   President of the disable police officers association

According to Mr. Herath, since 1980’s police were engaged in the same operational duties in the war zone and both the military and police faced the same threats from the enemy.

"Enemy bullets never discriminate whether we were army or police, so I strongly condemn the minsters comment” He said.

Expressing the displeasure of the association to the comment made by Minister Gunawardana, Mr Herath said “minister’s comment is an insult to the police”.

He said that the Police disabled war hero’s association will ask the President Rajapaksa and the Secretary of Defence ministry to clarify Minister Gunawardana's statement.

In June 11th, 1990 Members of the LTTE allegedly killed over 600 unarmed police officers in Eastern Sri Lanka. Eastern commander of the LTTE at the time of the killings, Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan is a cabinet minister in the present government.