Sri Lankan government ministers paid a trip to a prison in Colombo this week, where they called on the jailed leader of the extremist Sinhala hate group Bodu Bala Sena (BBS).
UNP member and finance minister Ravi Karunanayake, minister of languages Mano Ganesan and current governor of the Western Province Azath Salley all visited Welikada prison on Thursday to meet with the monk.
Galagodaaththe Gnanasara, is currently serving jail time for contempt of court, as leader of the BBS has organised several Sinhala nationalist marches and stirred racial tensions on the island with leaders committing hate speech.
The visit from the ministers comes as several government officials and Sinhala nationalists groups have called for the extremist monk to be pardoned and released.