Namal Rajapaksa attacks government over coal, Treasury hackers, tax hikes and alleged repression, demanding equal law for all.
Namal Rajapaksa has accused the government of allowing coal thieves and Treasury hackers to roam free while publicly claiming that no one is above the law.
Addressing a public gathering in Kesbewa, the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) National Organiser and Member of Parliament said President Anura Kumara Dissanayake must question those involved in several major controversies if his statement on equal justice is to be believed.
“The President says no one is above the law. Yes, Mr. President, no one is above the law. Then question those who brought substandard coal. Question those who deposited Rs. 800 million from the Ministry of Finance into the wrong account. Question those who drove suspects to the point of suicide by pressuring them to give false evidence. Mr. President, also question those who bought oil at the highest price ever paid by any country in the world,” Rajapaksa said.
Speaking further, Namal Rajapaksa said many people who had moved away from the SLPP during past elections were now returning to the party.
“Many people who drifted away from us in past elections are gathering with us today. So, we thank you and welcome you with love,” he said.
He said that whenever the party comes to Kesbewa, it cannot forget Minister Gamini Lokuge, describing him as a leader who did the right thing and stood firmly with both former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and himself.
Rajapaksa said the SLPP had now renewed and modernised itself, adding that the party must take both itself and the country towards a new era.
“The Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna has transformed today to suit modernity, to suit the new era. Because we believe in taking our country towards a new era. Learning from history, while protecting our culture, we must move towards an even newer path,” he said.
He said the country should be governed through principles, not through criticism, revenge, hatred or jealousy on the political stage.
Rajapaksa then accused the current government of coming to power through what he described as endless lies.
“The current government came to power by telling endless lies. Because there is no record in Sri Lankan history of a government that lied as much as this one,” he said.
He said the government had failed to fulfil its promises and claimed that even its policy statement now raised questions over whether the original promises were false or whether the current explanations were false.
Rajapaksa said the people were now facing a heavy tax burden, claiming the government was using public taxation to cover losses caused by its own frauds and corruption.
He accused the government of endlessly taxing citizens and increasing electricity bills, while blaming global conflict for the rise in power costs.
“Now they say the electricity bill increase is due to the war situation in the world. So was the substandard coal imported also because of the world war?” he asked.
He also alleged that Sri Lanka had become the only country in the world to buy oil at a price no other country had paid, adding that even this claim had first been made by the chairman of a private bank.
Rajapaksa said the government initially denied the issue, but later admitted that a small mistake had occurred.
Turning to the Treasury-related payment controversy, Rajapaksa said money from the Ministry of Finance had been deposited into the wrong account.
He compared it with Aswasuma payments, saying that when such payments are made twice by mistake, the authorities say they will recover the money. But in this case, he questioned whether the Rs. 800 million paid through the Central Bank had been recovered from the individual concerned.
“What did they do to recover it?” he asked.
He said the only visible outcome of that incident, involving how the Central Bank and Ministry of Finance had operated, was that the main witness, or according to the government the complainant, had died by suicide.
Rajapaksa also accused the government of repression, saying the President used the May Day stage not to speak about workers’ rights, but to deliver court verdicts.
He said some JVP members were now waiting to light “May flares” because the President had allegedly said so.
Rajapaksa again referred to the President’s claim that no one is above the law.
“Yes, Mr. President, no one is above the law. Question those who brought substandard coal. Question those who submitted fake degree certificates to Parliament. Question those who hid dual citizenship and entered Parliament,” he said.
He further demanded that the President question those who bought oil at the highest price in the world, those who transferred Rs. 13 billion from the bank, and those who, using the Finance Secretary, allegedly deposited Rs. 800 million into another account.
Rajapaksa also alleged that under the government’s authority, police officers had been intimidated, false evidence fabricated, and people forced to name others in false statements.
He claimed that some individuals had given sworn affidavits stating they were warned that if they did not give the statement demanded of them, they would end up “with a noose around their neck like the previous one.”
“Yes, question those people too. The law is equal. That’s why we come without fear. We know we have nothing to fear or hide because we have done nothing wrong,” Rajapaksa said.
He accused the government of running what he described as torture chambers where false evidence is fabricated and people are subjected to mental pressure, pushing them towards despair and suicide.
“Not one, not two, but three suicides have occurred under this government. Question those as well. Only then can we believe you when you say that the law is equal for everyone,” he said.
Rajapaksa said there cannot be one law for Malimawa, another law for alleged torturers in government-linked torture chambers, and another law for the opposition.
He said the government should protect the poor village entrepreneur in the same way it gives freedom to favoured businessmen.
He warned that small and medium-scale entrepreneurs are struggling to survive due to electricity costs, taxes and rising water bills.
“With these issues, how can ordinary people in the villages protect their businesses?” he asked.
Rajapaksa said electricity bills had become a major blow to businesses and a burden on daily wage earners, entrepreneurs and public servants. He alleged that the government was passing pressure onto the people to cover up its own frauds.
“That is not fair,” he said.
He urged the government to set aside its lies and do at least one or two things properly.
Rajapaksa said factories are closing and jobs are being lost. He said that based on the promises made when the government came to power, thousands of young people should now have been employed in the IT sector.
“But that hasn’t happened because the government lied back then,” he said.
He claimed there is no government intervention to generate income in the IT sector, while young people who create online businesses through their own abilities and connections are also taxed.
“These are not fair taxes. The people of this country are not opposed to paying taxes. What we are saying is that if this tax is unfair, if it increases the cost of living, then paying it is not fair,” he said.
Rajapaksa urged the government to listen to the public and fulfil the promises made during the election campaign. If it cannot fulfil them, he said, it should at least make an effort.
He also criticised the Minister of Agriculture, claiming the Minister had said legal action would be taken against anyone who says there is no fertiliser.
“If there is no fertiliser for farmers, should we say there is some instead of saying there isn’t?” Rajapaksa asked.
He said that instead of solving shortages, the government complains to the police when people raise concerns.
Rajapaksa also referred to a statement allegedly made by the party secretary, claiming no other government would ever come to power again.
He warned that if the government believes it can rule and destroy the country without holding elections, using repression and terror like in 1988 and 1989, the people will not allow it.
“The people of this country will not allow those things. Those are old stories. They do not suit the modern generation today,” he said.
