Joint Opposition MP Namal Rajapaksa who failed to effectively organise the recent “Jana Balaya Kolabata” protest should consider giving his MP post to Inter University Students’ Federation (IUSF) Convener Lahiru Weerasekera who does a better job than Rajapaksa, Law and Order Deputy Minister Nalin Bandara said yesterday.
Deputy Minister Bandara, together with Digital Infrastructure and Foreign Employment Minister Harin Fernando and MP Mujibar Rahuman made this observation at a press brief held at the Sirikotha UNP Headquarters in yesterday.
“As the saying goes, give your post to Lahiru. Lahiru does a better job with just 500 students what Namal couldn’t do with the protesters who were brought in. The JO rally organisers wanted to surround important places like the President’s House, the Supreme Court, the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Cooperation and so on. But we made sure that they won’t be able to do any of that. The Police and the intelligence units should be given full credit for tactically managing the situation,” Bandara said.
Deputy Minister Bandara also observed that senior Joint Opposition members are unhappy with the failure to properly organise an effective protest.
“MP Namal Rajapaksa who was responsible for organising the rally has not sought any advice from the senior JO members,” Bandara also said.
The Deputy Minister said that it very well shows the immaturity of MP Namal as a young politician.
On the same subject, Minister Harin Fernando said that they are thankful to MP Namal Rajapaksa creating a rift in the Joint Opposition.
“That is exactly what we were not able to do, but he did it for us. With all the cheap moves, Namal failed to organise the rally. Namal should take the responsibility of his failure without trying to put the blame on us. We are ready for any kind of investigation,” Minister Fernando said.
He also condemned the allegation made by the JO members that MP Mujibar Rahuman was seen drunk.
MP Mujibar Rahuman said that the JO’s “Arabic Spring” turned into an “Arrack Spring” at the end of the rally.
He also said that Social Media properly portrayed the failure of the JO’s rally.
“When the Student Unions protest, they know what they are doing at least. They know how to create a clash with the Police. They purposefully get beaten by the Police and leave promising to come back. They have that moral. These frustrated protestors left the protest scene a defeated lot,” he pointed out.
Minister Fernando observed that some Joint Opposition MPs had booked hotel rooms in luxury hotels while the protesters had to rough it out on the street.
“Maybe they were planning to stay in Colombo for a while. Initially, they were talking of protesting for three to four days until the government was toppled. Maybe they were planning to take oaths as ministers in the government they were planning to establish, hence booking FIve Star hotel rooms to keep their belongings,” Minister Fernando observed.
He also said that spreading hate speech on social media will not be allowed or tolerated by the government.
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