Professor Ranjith Bandara has sounded a sharp warning to the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna leadership, cautioning that allowing Ranil Wickremesinghe to co-opt the party would destroy its identity and erase the Rajapaksa legacy.
Former MP Professor Ranjith Bandara has publicly accused former President Ranil Wickremesinghe of causing irreparable damage to the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna and undermining the political heritage of the Rajapaksa family. In a strong message posted on social media, he urged party leaders not to sell the future of the movement to Wickremesinghe.
Professor Bandara emphasized that Wickremesinghe never shared the vision or values of the party and has instead distorted and destroyed its political identity. He argued that the Rajapaksa legacy entrusted by the people has been severely undermined, and the political future of the Rajapaksas decisively weakened.
He further noted that the crises Wickremesinghe now claims to be addressing were in fact created under his own tenure during the so-called good governance era. While acknowledging that there may be personal sympathy for Wickremesinghe, Bandara stressed that his actions have inflicted lasting harm on the Podujana Peramuna.
According to Bandara, Wickremesinghe thrives when the Podujana Peramuna is divided. He pointed out that as leading members drift individually into Wickremesinghe’s orbit, the collective power of the party is weakened. He declared that this was witnessed before, and it continues even now.
In a second post, Bandara directly appealed to the leadership, organizers and supporters of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna. He insisted that this was a moment for deep reflection and firm decision-making. He urged the party to resist the temptation of aligning with Wickremesinghe and instead protect its independent identity.
“This is a moment for the leaders, organizers and supporters of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna to deeply reflect. Do not sell our movement back to Ranil. Let him bear the burden of his own failure. We have no journey to take with him,” he declared.
Bandara’s remarks underscore growing internal tensions within the party as it grapples with the future direction of its movement. His appeal to preserve the Rajapaksa legacy while distancing from Wickremesinghe has ignited debate among both leaders and grassroots members of the party.
