Pivithuru Hela Urumaya leader Udaya Gammanpila yesterday (23) alleged that the Government is attempting to have him arrested on 27 March in a bid to prevent the launch of a book he claims will reveal the “mastermind” behind the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks.

Speaking at a media briefing, Gammanpila said the book is scheduled to be launched on 31 March and suggested that efforts are underway to obstruct its release.

He claimed that recent remarks by Cabinet Spokesperson Nalinda Jayatissa indicated the possibility of his arrest prior to the publication.

“From the Minister’s statement, it is clear that the Government is preparing to arrest me in order to prevent the release of my book,” Gammanpila said.

According to him, Jayatissa had stated at a recent press briefing that Gammanpila may not be able to proceed with the book launch if he is taken into custody before its release.

Responding to questions at that briefing, Jayatissa had said: “If there are no issues regarding the case scheduled for 27 March against Udaya Gammanpila, he may be able to make some kind of revelation.”

Addressing the same, Gammanpila challenged the Government to proceed with the alleged move.

“I challenge Minister Nalinda Jayatissa to have me arrested on 27 March,” he said.

He further claimed that previous attempts to arrest him had failed.

“They have tried to arrest me six times before, but all those attempts were unsuccessful,” Gammanpila added.

The Government has not issued an official response to Gammanpila’s latest allegations at the time of publication.