A heated political blame game erupted as Namal Rajapaksa distanced himself from the controversial Grade 6 English module, accusing the government of mismanagement, broken promises, and moral panic driven by failure rather than facts.
Commenting on the controversy surrounding the inclusion of a link to a gay website in the Grade 6 English syllabus introduced under the new education reforms, Parliamentarian Namal Rajapaksa firmly rejected any responsibility for the content in question. Speaking to the media, he emphasized that he had no role in preparing the syllabus or approving it for printing, stating plainly, “We did not make the syllabus, we did not open it for printing.”
Rajapaksa argued that it was pointless for the Secretary of the Ministry of Education to lodge a police complaint over the matter, insisting that accountability lay elsewhere. While acknowledging that Sri Lanka’s education system must evolve to meet global standards, he criticized the current government’s reading of the international job market, saying it was deeply flawed and unsuited to the country’s realities.
Turning his fire on the ruling National People’s Power, Rajapaksa said the government’s political culture had deteriorated sharply. He remarked that the old saying about “asking fortunes from a thief’s mother” had now worsened into “asking fortunes from a thief,” accusing the administration of moral inconsistency and political opportunism. “They are cutting their own throats,” he said, adding that the opposition’s duty was to pressure the government to honor its commitments to the people.
Addressing the media at an event in Seenigama, Rajapaksa said the past year had been especially difficult for ordinary citizens. He accused the NPP-led government of burdening people with unbearable taxes while failing to respond decisively to natural disasters that devastated lives and livelihoods. Many families, he said, entered the New Year in shelters and temporary camps, uncertain whether they would ever return home.
Although the President had promised compensation for those affected, Rajapaksa said those assurances remained unfulfilled. He urged the government to act with urgency, resettle displaced families, and deliver on its promises, stressing that political distractions must not come at the cost of public responsibility.
