Police Facebook post on Wimal Weerawansa triggers public anger, with users questioning equal law enforcement in North and South.
Police Facebook post on Wimal Weerawansa has triggered strong public criticism, with users questioning whether one law applies to the North and another to the South.
Sri Lanka Police has stated that legal action will be taken against a group of 35 individuals, including former Member of Parliament Wimal Weerawansa.
The group is accused of obstructing rehearsal activities and officers on duty at the war memorial located within the Parliament premises.
The rehearsals were being conducted for the National War Heroes Commemoration Day event.
The Police Media Division, issuing an official statement, said the group had attempted to enter the premises without permission.
According to Police, the incident took place while preparations and rehearsals were underway on May 18 for the main event to be held under the patronage of the President.
Police officers on duty at the location had prevented the group from entering and had taken steps to remove those who had gathered there.
However, after the official social media post by Police regarding the incident, public outrage and heated debate erupted online.
Many social media users accused Police of following what they described as a “dual policy” when enforcing the law.
They alleged that law enforcement appears to act differently in the South and the North.
Several users questioned why action had not been taken against incidents reported in Northern areas, including Jaffna.
They pointed to people allegedly riding motorcycles without helmets and engaging in disruptive behaviour, claiming that Police had failed to suppress such incidents.
Some users also questioned why no action was taken even when motorcycle number plates were clearly visible in videos and images from the North.
Others compared the situation with recent incidents in the South, where Police used videos of young women and artists travelling without helmets to impose immediate fines of Rs. 20,000.
Those commenting online argued that the law should be enforced equally against everyone, regardless of location, background, or political context.
The wider public opinion emerging from the debate is that if the rule of law is to be protected equally for all, Police must act without discrimination between the North and the South.
