In a fiery political exchange, Udaya Gammanpila accuses the President of twisting facts, fabricating charges, and attempting to shift public attention by targeting him in Parliament. Here’s the full breakdown of his response.
The leader of the Pivithuru Hela Urumaya, Udaya Gammanpila, has sharply criticized the President’s recent Parliament address on August 7, claiming that it was less a message to the nation and more a direct attack on him. Speaking at a media conference, Gammanpila noted that the President repeatedly mentioned his name and accused him of being part of a conspiracy to overthrow the government.
According to Gammanpila, the President warned that any officials whether inside or outside the state—as well as politicians within or outside Parliament, who engage in conspiracies against the state, would face action. Gammanpila argued that the tone of the President’s speech reflected immense pressure, insecurity, and tension, drawing parallels to former President Ranasinghe Premadasa’s address after the assassination of Lalith Athulathmudali.
Gammanpila declared that if “overthrowing the government” means pointing out its failures, disproving its false claims, and exposing corruption, then he stands at the forefront of that movement. He reminded the President of his own history of destabilizing governments during his years in the opposition, citing instances in 1971, 1987, 2006, and even 2022. He also accused the President of attempting to sabotage President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s war effort in 2006 by undermining the budget, and of disrupting President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s Covid-19 response through strikes and protests when global opposition leaders were aiding their governments.
The MP claimed the President’s criticism was hypocritical, given his own record of political upheavals, including urging Sri Lankans not to send dollars to the country during the economic crisis—moves Gammanpila says were designed to collapse the state.
He also accused the President of making a false statement in Parliament regarding the arrest of former Navy Commander Admiral (Retired) Nishantha Ulugetenne. Gammanpila said the President wrongly claimed the arrest was ordered by a court. Instead, he explained, the CID, in a B report submitted to the Polgahawela Magistrate’s Court under case number B 8016/2019, stated that it needed to obtain statements from senior naval officers who served between July 25, 2010, and March 30, 2011. Gammanpila alleged that after summoning them for statements, they were arrested and charged with murder to prevent bail burdening the courts with fabricated cases.
He said this misinformation not only misled the public but also indicated that police officers had fed false information to the President, who repeated it in Parliament. Gammanpila noted that some senior police officers were openly supportive of the President’s political platform before the last election, and now their falsehoods have become official statements.
Gammanpila argued that if the President can accuse opposition MPs of lying in Parliament and advise them to lodge complaints with the police instead, then the same standard should apply to the President himself. He suggested the President compile his 24 years of speeches into a book titled “Modern Gajabinnalankaraya” to showcase what Gammanpila described as decades of falsehoods.
He concluded by reiterating that his original remarks about the Navy Commander’s arrest were backed by documentary evidence proving the CID’s misconduct. He challenged the President to hear the full account before responding, claiming the truth was being ignored in favor of politically convenient narratives.
