Dilith Jayaweera attacks Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s government, claiming fraud, failed leftist politics and state pressure on workers.
Dilith Jayaweera has launched a fierce attack on President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, declaring that Anura’s dramatic politics has no future and accusing the government of committing major frauds within a short period.
The Leader of the Sarvajana Balaya and Member of Parliament made the remarks while addressing the Sarvajana Balaya May Day celebration held today, May 1, at the Henry Pedris Grounds in Colombo.
Jayaweera said the greatest wealth that contributes to a country’s development is its human capital, adding that an entrepreneurial state is built by working people.
However, he said this year’s May Day celebration was taking place in what he described as a tragic environment.
He also accused the government of using state power against working people in a manner not seen under any previous administration.
Speaking further at the rally, Dilith Jayaweera said Sri Lanka was marking May Day in a deeply troubling atmosphere, pointing to the death of a Ministry of Finance official and the alleged theft of millions of dollars by hackers.
“Sri Lanka is celebrating this in a tragic environment. Someone from the Ministry of Finance dies. Millions of dollars are stolen by hackers. The state official who revealed the truth about that dies mysteriously,” he said.
Jayaweera claimed that from the day the government came to power until that death, it had acted against working people by beating them and driving them away.
“No other government has used state power against working people like this,” he said.
He also referred to remarks allegedly directed at Ceylon Electricity Board workers.
“What did they tell the Ceylon Electricity Board people? If you have any love for life, don’t start trade union struggles. So they can put up photos of Lenin, Marx, and Wijeweera and hold rallies for the proletariat,” he said.
This raises concerns about the widening political battle between the government and opposition groups over labour rights, state power, and the government’s leftist identity.
Jayaweera said the leftist movement represented the heartbeat of the people of Sri Lanka and belonged to pure people who entered trade union activism without personal expectations.
“The leftist movement is the movement of the heartbeat of the people of this country. It is the movement of pure people. Those people did not come to trade union movements expecting anything. They have destroyed that,” he said.
He claimed that Sarvajana Balaya was now bringing new hope to leftist politics.
“We are bringing a new hope to leftist politics. There is no other force to save this motherland. There is no one else like us who practice politics from the heart. No matter who conspires in whatever way, we unite without discrimination of nation, religion, or caste,” he said.
Jayaweera said his movement was committed to protecting Sri Lanka’s civilization and claimed that the turnout at the May Day event showed the growth of what he called honest politics.
“We must protect this civilization. You saw with your own eyes how our honest politics grows. When we notified you within 24 hours, you came. That is our strength,” he said.
Turning directly to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, Jayaweera said the President’s political style had no future.
“Anura Kumara’s dramatic politics has no future. He brought the Batalanda report to Parliament and cried. It was kept in a dark room. He brought it to Parliament and raised a debate. Where is that report now? Where is the Batalanda case?” he asked.
He then referred to the past of the JVP and accused the party of failing to take responsibility for the lives lost during its history.
“The party that sacrificed 60,000 lives. Anura Kumara has no right to speak. You must at least take responsibility for 60,000 youth. They died for a dream,” he said.
Jayaweera also linked his criticism to the recent death of a young man, saying that he too had died for a dream that had now been broken.
“The young man who died the day before yesterday also died for a dream. Now that dream has been broken,” he said.
He then claimed that there was no real Anura Kumara government in operation, alleging instead that power was being exercised through what he described as a jungle police force created by Anura and Ranil together.
“There is no Anura Kumara government here. The government is run by a jungle police force set up by Anura and Ranil together. I tell you to understand this fake politics. This book is Ranil’s, only the cover is Anura’s, but no one believed it,” he said.
However, questions remain over how far Jayaweera’s accusations will resonate among voters who backed the NPP on promises of anti-corruption, reform, and a break from traditional politics.
Jayaweera further alleged that the present political arrangement was a proxy government backed by local and foreign forces.
“These people have come together to bring racism. This is fake politics. This is a proxy government set up. All local and foreign forces are behind this. Only innocent people are not,” he said.
He said he felt sorry for the people over what had happened to them under the present administration.
“What I have to say to the people is that we feel sorry for you, for what happened to you. Please think about yourselves. This is the government that has committed the greatest frauds in a very short period of time. This government can no longer use the slogan of an uncorrupted government,” he said.
Jayaweera said Sarvajana Balaya was changing its political slogan to “For a Developed Sri Lanka” in order to offer new hope to young people who are thinking of leaving the country.
“To create a developed Sri Lanka, to bring new hope to our youth who think of leaving the country, we want to bring new hope. We have changed our slogan to ‘For a Developed Sri Lanka’ because of that,” he said.
He said the movement’s aim was to create a political and economic environment suitable for Sri Lanka at both regional and global levels.
“Our aim is to create an environment suitable for that politics and economy regionally and globally. Thank you to all of you who joined that force,” he said.
The Sarvajana Balaya leader also expressed confidence that his party would come to power.
“Have hope. Sarvajana Balaya will certainly come to power. We will unconditionally gather people who love this motherland,” he said.
He said his movement would defeat not only the government but also the forces that sabotage the country.
“We will defeat not only the government but also the forces that sabotage it. We speak with data, explaining the truth to the people,” he said.
Jayaweera urged supporters to take that message back to villages and mobilize people.
“Take that trust with you when you go to the village. Go to the village, talk, inform, and motivate the people. Go to the village with the belief that we can do this,” he said.
What happens next could be critical as Sarvajana Balaya seeks to position itself as a new political alternative, while the Anura Kumara Dissanayake government faces mounting criticism over labour issues, alleged fraud, and the growing public debate over whether its reform promise is beginning to collapse.
