Minister of Power and Energy and JHU General Secretary Patali Champika Ranawaka today condemned the attack on the Jaffna library and reminded that the act of violence by "a handful of violent UNP members" was not condoned by the Sinhala community en bloc.

Minister Ranawaka made these comments when he visited the Jaffna library with party leader Ven. Omalpe Sobhitha thera to hand over books worth two million to the library.

He added that he was also aware that the LTTE which killed thousands of Sinhalese and attacked sacred sites like Sri Dalada Maligawa did not have the blessings of the ordinary Tamils to engage in such violence.

Addressing the gathering JHU leader Ven. Omalpe Sobhitha thera said he hoped that the book will help the Jaffna people – both young and old to rebuild bridges with those in the south and said that they were given as a "token of brotherhood".

Minister Douglas Devananda who participated at the event said the move by the JHU would open a new page in the relations between the party, which once contested Jaffna, and the Jaffna citizens and he hoped that the goodwill gesture would help ward off whatever doubts that were there earlier among the Jaffna people about the JHU.