Sri Lankan sailor, who hit Rajiv with rifle butt, predicts BJP win

Colombo: Vijitha Rohana Wijemuni, the Sri Lankan Navy sailor, who hit the headlines in 1987, for trying to hit the then Indian prime minister Rajiv Gandhi on his neck, now sells music CDs and staionery products in Colombo. He is also into astrology. The man, who is now an astrologer, was asked by an Indian reporter recently about the prognosis for 2014 Lok Sabha polls in India. "BJP will come to power," he replied. About Rahul Gandhi, he said, "He will become PM, but in the elections after the next one."Wijemuni said Rahul has a "long life" and that eastern societies have a tradition of family dynasties, which is a "normal thing".The rifle butt incident took place on July 30, 1987 during a guard of honour at Sri Lankan President's house, when the Indian Peace Keeping Force was stationed in Jaffna and the ultra-nationalists in Sri Lanka led by Premadasa and JVP (Janata Vimukthi Peramuna)were raising a crescendo about withdrawal of IPKF from the island nation. Had Rajiv Gandhi not ducked, the rifle butt would have hit him on his head. Vijitha Rohana was immediately overpowered, disarmed and jailed for six years after a court martial. He was later released after about two and a half years by Sri Lankan president R Premadas through a presidential pardon.Vijitha Rohana says it was an "on-the-spur" moment decision to hit the Indian prime minister. He refused to talk more about the incident.The incident was telecast live on Sri Lankan television.Wijemuni, now bearded, wearing spectacles and balding, sits in a shop in Nugegoda supermarket.Asked about his predictions for the Mahinda Rajapaksa government, Wijemuni, who contested elections under the ultra-nationalist Sinhala Urumaya party in 2000, says Rajapaksa will not be president after the next elections.Wijemuni said: "Rajiv Gandhi tried to create a separate state...that was wrong. He was unjustified, so it was natural justice. If Rahul Gandhi wants to be PM, he should not strive to make a separate state here."The man says he sells Hindi music because he loves Hindi film music and Indian classical music. Wijemuni said he has "no vengeance towards India", but it was wrong for the powerful to threaten the sovereignty of others.On the rifle butt incident, he said, "natural justice intervened, that is why I was in the parade that day". Wijemuni recalls that he was not supposed to be in the front row that day, but someone dropped out and he had to stand in the front row.