When the Rajapaksas’ decade of financial allegations is called “small change” compared to a minister’s declared assets, Sri Lanka’s political circus finds a new ringmaster.
Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) Jaffna District Organizer and Politburo Member G. Kasilingam has sparked controversy by claiming that the total value of all financial allegations made against the Rajapaksa family in the past decade does not even come close to the declared assets of Trade Minister Wasantha Samarasinghe.
In a statement released on X (formerly Twitter), Kasilingam argued that the Rajapaksa family has been the target of repeated “political vendettas,” with accusations that they hold hidden assets and secret properties abroad. According to him, these cases have mostly collapsed in court, with defendants either acquitted or cases dismissed due to lack of evidence.
Kasilingam stressed that such allegations were little more than a “political ploy” designed to erode public trust in the Rajapaksas. He argued that public anger has been “strategically misdirected,” pointing out that unproven allegations against the Rajapaksa family have attracted national attention, while, in his words, “the real ones are operating from behind the scenes.”
The SLPP organizer’s comments are the latest in the long-running debate over corruption, accountability, and transparency in Sri Lankan politics. By drawing a comparison between Minister Samarasinghe’s declared wealth and the decade-long allegations against the Rajapaksa family, Kasilingam has reignited discussion about selective outrage, political manipulation, and the role of wealth declarations in public life.
His remarks underscore the widening gulf between perception and proof, raising questions about whether Sri Lanka’s political battles are being fought in the courtroom, on the streets, or merely on social media.
