Deputy Minister Eranga Gunasekara has accused former President Ranil Wickremesinghe of using the National Youth Council and youth clubs as political machines, funnelling millions into election propaganda and musical shows, with fraud allegations now surfacing.
Responding to former President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s recent remarks about youth clubs, Youth Affairs Deputy Minister Eranga Gunasekara charged that both the National Youth Council and its affiliated youth clubs were heavily politicised under Wickremesinghe’s leadership.
Gunasekara claimed the government’s current aim is to free these institutions from political influence and give genuine opportunities to talented youth. He alleged that during the last Presidential election, the National Youth Council’s funds were misused to bolster Wickremesinghe’s image, with Rs. 536 million reportedly spent on musical shows targeting voters. According to him, the Attorney General’s report has identified fraud amounting to Rs. 68 million.
The Deputy Minister further stated that youth clubs were deeply entangled in politics during the previous administration. As an example, he cited Tharindu Naveen’s 2024 appointment as UNP organiser for Galagedara by Palitha Range Bandara, despite Naveen serving as Secretary of the Sri Lanka Federation of Youth Clubs. He alleged that millions from the youth council’s budget were spent on political agendas rather than youth development.
Gunasekara highlighted that the current government has established youth clubs in over 12,000 Grama Niladari Divisions, conducted district conferences, and will host the National Youth Conference on August 12, the first such event in 32 years.
He accused Wickremesinghe of making political statements in a bid to take control of the opposition leadership, while the opposition allegedly attempts to distract from corruption investigations targeting certain politicians.
Wickremesinghe, in his statement, had urged the Youth Affairs and Sports Ministry not to allow political parties to control youth clubs, but Gunasekara maintains that the biggest political interference took place under the former president’s watch.
