Basnayake Nilames seek redress at courts

Basnayake Nilames of Purana Devale in Udarata filed a petition in the Supreme Court on February 03 challenging the deprivation of their right to vote at the election of the Diyawadana Nilame of Sri Dalada Maligawa in Kandy.

The proposed temporalities act deprives them from the right, alleges the plaint, in which senior Basnayake Nilame Udaya Emetiyagoda is the chief petitioner.

Of the 347 who have been having the voting right traditionally, 300 will be deprived of the right as per the proposed act.

Around 130 of them have already sought redress at courts.

The right to vote at the election for the lay custodian of the Dalada Maligawa has been proposed to be confined to 48, who will be the Mahanayake Theras and members of Karaka Sangha Sabhas of Asgiriya and Malwatte chapters of the Siyam Maha Nikaye.