Police have come under severe criticism from cultural organizations as
well as from the Minister of Culture and the Arts T. B. Ekanayake over a
ceremony performed to wed police dogs.
The Police, as part of the Police Canine Breeding Program, held a
wedding ceremony on a Poruwa, a structure used for traditional Sinhala
weddings, yesterday at the Asgiriya Grounds in Kandy to wed pairs of
police dogs belonging to the Asgiriya Police Kennels.
Nine pairs of dressed-up canines of different breeds were placed on
the Poruwa and performed a ceremony after which the dogs were driven
away for their `honeymoon` local media reported.
Veterinarians have presented `marriage certificates` to the dog couples certifying them suitable for breeding.
The Minister of Culture and the Arts, T.B. Ekanayake condemned the
wedding ceremony as damaging to the country`s culture and requested the
Inspector General of Police to conduct an immediate inquiry regarding
the ceremony.
Several organizations including the Sihala Ravaya organization
expressed condemnation saying that it was an insult to the culture of
the country.
The Police Headquarters issuing a statement apologized for the event
and said the Police Department had no intention of causing any insult
to the Sri Lankan culture and expressed regret regarding any harm the
activities of the inauguration ceremony of Police Canine Breeding
Program may have caused to any cultural heritage or if it caused any
person any discomfort.
Police Spokesman SP Buddhika Siriwardena told the local media the
event was held to commence the new program to breed police dogs within
the country to save the cost of purchasing them from other countries.
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