A heated verbal battle occurred between Fisheries Minister Rajitha Senaratne and Senior Minister Milroy Fernando in Parliament during the committee stage debate on the Fisheries Ministry this morning.

Fernando accused Senaratne of attacking the fishermen who protested in front of the Fisheries Ministry two weeks ago. It was alleged that a group who were inside the ministry premises pelted stones at the protester who were protesting against the Minister.

The verbal battle occurred when the Fisheries Minister tried to respond to the allegations leveled against him by the Senior Minister. Following the incident, Minister Senaratne had walked out of the house in protest of the speech made by the Senior Minister.

However, in an interview with a vernacular newspaper on Sunday, minister Senaratne indicated that he had unresolved issues with the government. He said several minister are dissatisfied with the present state of affairs in the country.

Certain media reports, over the past few weeks, claimed that there was a move to oust Minister Senaratne from the Fisheries Ministry. Many assumed that Sarath Kumara Gunarathne, who is presently the Deputy Minister of Fisheries, would be appointed as the Minister after Senaratne’s possible removal.

A spokesman of the Fisheries Ministry, who is close to Senaratne, told Asian Mirror that the allegations which were leveled against him in Parliament today came as part of the same plan.

Meanwhile, it was also in the grapevine that Minister Senaratne was in talks with some key members of the opposition for a crossover. However, the Minister gad flatly denied the rumours.