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SJB General Secretary Ranjith Madduma Bandara (centre) and Parliamentarian Eran Wickremerathne addressing the press
By Asiri Fernando
The Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) yesterday charged that the Government was behind the attack on an Opposition meeting on Tuesday night that included the presence of Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa.
The allegation came after a meeting Premadasa was addressing in Ratmalana was pelleted by a group of individuals creating unrest. The Police have arrested two suspects in relation to the incident.
“Where is the law and order promised by the Government? The freedom enjoyed by the Opposition is a measure of the strength of democracy in a country. However, yesterday Government thugs tried to disrupt a meeting where the Opposition Leader was speaking. Isn’t this an indication of the decline of democracy in this country today?” SJB General Secretary Ranjith Madduma Bandara questioned at a press conference. He called on the Police department to carry out an independent investigation and find those who were involved in the incident.
Bandara was joined by SJB members Eran Wickramaratne and Mujibur Rahman at the press conference held at the Opposition Leader’s office.
“It is really deplorable that the Leader of the Opposition was attacked, stoned, particularly when the Government has the primary responsibility to protect the Opposition. Especially, the Leader of the Opposition,” SJB parliamentarian Wickramaratne charged, pointing out that the matter should be taken up by the Speaker.
Wickramaratne told the press that Premadasa had told those who had gathered for the meeting that he aims to use the stone projectiles as the foundation stone for a community centre for locality.
The SJB Secretary noted that when they were in Government, with the implementation of the 19th Amendment, there was freedom of speech and that anyone could hold a meeting without interference, and that the public could speak their mind and criticise the Government.
“But today, we see as the decline towards dictatorship has begun with the introduction of the 20th Amendment, thuggery has begun to rise again. What a sad state this is, debate and dialog is being replaced by thuggery and violence,” Bandara stated, charging that the Government’s bid to justify allowing a convicted murderer, who attacked an Opposition meeting in 2015, to enter Parliament has set a bad precedent for law and order in Sri Lanka.
Bandara called on the President to up hold the ‘one country, one law’ policy which he promised in the election manifesto.
“Such acts of thuggery will not deter the SJB, we will stay our course,” Wickramaratne said.
The two suspects were produced before Mt Lavinia Magistrate’s Court yesterday and remanded till the 7th of October. Mt Lavinia Police Station is conducting an investigation in to the incident, the Police Media Unit said.
