Bodu Bala Sena leader Gnanasara Thera remanded in custody

Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thera, General Secretary of the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS), has been remanded in custody following an arrest on an outstanding warrant. The arrest of the controversial nationalist monk has drawn significant public attention due to his polarizing role in Sri Lankan religious and political discourse.

Following reports that Gnanasara Thera appeared in court in civilian clothing, retired Senior Professor Kotapitiye Rahula Anunayake Maha Thera has formally requested the Commissioner General of Prisons to allow the monk to retain his robes while in custody. In a letter to prison authorities, the senior prelate emphasized that the removal of a monk’s robes is an ecclesiastical matter governed by the Maha Sangha Sabha and established tradition, rather than a judicial one.

Anunayake Maha Thera stated that the Sangha Sabha has received no reports of offenses under the Vinaya Pitaka that would warrant disrobing. He noted that while the judiciary's supremacy is respected, disregarding the practice of allowing monks to wear their robes could set a negative precedent for the Buddhist Sasana.