Namal Rajapaksa says Sri Lanka fought LTTE terrorism, not Tamils, while attacking the govt over taxes, TIN rules, fuel and fertilizer.
Namal Rajapaksa told Parliament that Sri Lanka fought the LTTE terrorists, not the Tamil people, while sharply attacking the government over war heroes, taxes, fuel, fertilizer, and public money.
The Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna National Organiser and Member of Parliament made these remarks during a parliamentary speech, where he accused the current government of failing to honour the sacrifices made to end the country’s thirty-year war.
Speaking further, Rajapaksa said it has now been seventeen years since the war was brought to an end.
He said the war ended on May 18, while former President Mahinda Rajapaksa officially announced it in Parliament on May 19.
He stated that a large number of people in the country made sacrifices for that victory.
According to him, members of the armed forces, the police, the Civil Defence Force, and citizens from every community, including Tamils, Sinhalese, and Hindus, made a major sacrifice to end the war.
Rajapaksa said some people today cannot even call war heroes “war heroes.”
He argued that it is because of the sacrifices made by those war heroes that the majority of people in the country live freely today.
He said some people are now trying to interpret the war as a battle against the Tamil people.
Rajapaksa rejected that claim, saying the fight was against LTTE terrorists and not against Tamil civilians.
He referred to the LTTE as the group that assassinated former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, former President Ranasinghe Premadasa, and Tamil democratic leaders, including Mayor Alfred Duraiappah and Lakshman Kadirgamar.
He also referred to the killing of Aranthalawa monks, the attack on Muslim worshippers at the Kattankudy mosque, and the Kebithigollewa bus bombing, saying the war was fought against those responsible for such acts.
Rajapaksa said that during the war, a cyanide capsule was placed around the neck of a child going to school.
He said that because terrorism was defeated, children in the Northern Province can now hold a pen instead of a cyanide capsule and reach the top two or three places in the Advanced Level examinations.
He said he would not speak much about infrastructure development, but stressed that respect must be given to the war heroes and leaders of that period.
He then criticized those who, according to him, fail to acknowledge that sacrifice.
Rajapaksa said even the President and Prime Minister had failed to post a Facebook message, an X message, or even verbally congratulate the war heroes who ended the thirty-year war under the then head of state.
He called that shameful.
He said he had seen government leaders visiting disabled war heroes, but claimed that those who implement what he described as a terrorist agenda are allowed to celebrate.
He also referred to former Minister Wimal Weerawansa, saying police had allegedly chased him away and assaulted him when he went to celebrate.
Rajapaksa warned the government to be careful, saying society had been brought to this point by those now in power.
He repeated that Sri Lanka did not fight against Tamil people, but against LTTE terrorists.
He said that whatever challenge may come, they would stand to protect the unity of the country and defend the war heroes.
Turning to the economy, Rajapaksa said many had spoken about state revenue.
He accused the government of increasing taxes excessively.
He claimed that even young people trying to buy a car for Rs. 120,000 are being hit with taxes of 150 percent.
He then criticized the government over the Tax Identification Number, or TIN.
Rajapaksa said the government is now saying that people without a TIN number could face legal cases or even six months in jail.
He recalled that before coming to power, when the previous government was preparing to implement the TIN number as policy, those now in power had claimed a TIN was not needed to build the country.
He said they now claim people without a TIN number could be imprisoned.
Rajapaksa accused the government of strangling businessmen and entrepreneurs through taxes, TIN rules, and imprisonment threats.
He alleged that the tax money collected from ordinary people is being stolen by hackers.
He said he had paid taxes and that government figures had been searching for months.
According to him, people who have never paid tax in their lives do not understand the pressure ordinary citizens are facing.
He said the government is placing pressure on ordinary people, imposing excessive taxes, and trying to carry out what he described as its usual agenda of repression when people cannot pay.
Rajapaksa then referred to a recent statement by the Central Bank Governor, saying the rupee had collapsed because Sri Lanka needed to import an additional 800,000 litres of oil per day.
He said the country had to import between 700,000 and 900,000 additional litres of oil daily to cover the loss caused by substandard coal.
He claimed oil-fired electricity generation became necessary because of the substandard coal issue.
He said the government must be reminded that the additional oil purchase was required due to what he called the substandard coal fiasco.
Rajapaksa also questioned how the government could claim to be protecting taxpayers’ money.
He said Rs. 13.5 billion had disappeared from a private bank, while neither the Ministry of Finance nor the Central Bank knew about it.
He also said around Rs. 600 million had disappeared from a state bank without the knowledge of the Finance Ministry or Central Bank.
He referred to a double payment from the RDA, saying Rs. 51 million had still not been found.
He also mentioned SriLankan Airlines and said that while people talk about Airbus, the airline had also made a mistake in Chennai and paid money into a wrong account in Dubai.
Rajapaksa further claimed that nearly Rs. 900 million had been stolen from the Ministry of Finance by hackers.
He repeated that this was the tax money of the people.
He alleged that tax money collected by squeezing businessmen and entrepreneurs through TIN rules and prison threats was being stolen by hackers.
He also claimed that a hacker representing a party at a Divisional Secretary’s office had stolen aid provided for Cyclone Ditwa, and that an investigation was underway.
Rajapaksa urged the government to think about the people and speak on their side.
He said those now in power did not speak in this manner when they were in opposition.
Finally, he addressed the fertilizer issue.
Rajapaksa said electricity bills are rising and water bills are also increasing.
He said the Minister claims there is enough fertilizer for the Yala season, but when people go to the village, fertilizer is not available.
He said the government says priority is being given to paddy, but questioned what would happen to tea, maize, and vegetables.
Rajapaksa said the Maha season is approaching and asked the government to reveal its plan to provide fertilizer to farmers at a price they can afford.
He said the farming community believes that even as the Maha season approaches, the government has no plan to provide fertilizer at an affordable price.
He asked the government to respond on that issue as well.
Rajapaksa warned that even after the Maha season, the world is discussing food shortages and global food security.
He said Sri Lanka also faces major concerns over food security and energy security.
He urged the government to pay serious attention to these matters.
