The ‘Paada Yathra’ organised by the Joint Opposition (JO) kicked off from the Peradeniya Bridge at 9 am yesterday. Earlier, the Parliamentarians of the Joint Opposition led by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa visited the Rajopavanaramaya at Getambe and participated in religious observances before joining the march. The Paada Yatra had to commence from near the Peradeniya Bridge since a court order had been issued on the organizers preventing them from using the Kandy city as the starting point. The Pada Yatra caused heavy traffic congestion along the Kandy Colombo main road.
Kurunegala District Parliamentarian and former President Mahinda Rajapaksa addressing the gathering near the Getambe Rajopavanaramaya said there were ‘Jana Bala Meheyum” Paada Yatra during their period of rule as well as during the tenure of former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga but no court injunctions were obtained to prevent them. The President should fulfill the promises held out to the people. Heavy burdens had been imposed on the public due to the increase in VAT.
He alleged that the police were not acting in an impartial and independent manner today. The police rushed to court for every trivial matter . Rajapaksa said on their part they had honoured the court order and arranged to start the march from a venue outside Kandy city limits.
Parliamentarian Namal Rajapaksa said the massive crowds supporting the Joint Opposition Pada Yatra had already driven a sense of fear into the government.
The government had driven the country to an abyss by bringing in a constitutional death trap and the Economic and Technical Co-operation Agreement (ETCA) to the fore. The destruction caused to the country by these measures should be stopped. Namal Rajapaksa said they would continue the Pada Yatra march to Colombo undeterred and no force would be able to stop them.
Parliamentarian Johnston Fernando said today Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was trembling after seeing the massive public participation at the Joint Opposition Pada Yatra. He alleged that the IGP was acting in a partial manner today and he should be sent home.
“There was no point in performing comic acts before the people,” he said.
“They would call upon the government to fulfill the pledges it made to the people and desist from impinging on the democratic rights of the people,” MP Fernando said.
Parliamentarian Dilum Amunugama said the Joint Opposition Pada Yatra had created a re-awakening among the people.
Parliamentarians Keheliya Rambukwella, Mahindananda Aluthgamage, Lohan Ratwatte, Bandula Gunawardena, Kumara Welgama, Prasanna Ranatunge, Sisira Jayakody and Prasanna Ranaweera and several other former Ministers and Parliamentarians including Gamini Lokuge were among the participants.
The first leg of the Pada Yatra march which began from Peradeniya was due to end at Kadugannawa yesterday afternoon.
Add new comment