Namal Rajapaksa accuses the government of insulting war heroes, delaying justice for ordinary people and failing farmers and youth.
Namal Rajapaksa has accused the government of insulting war heroes, delaying justice for ordinary citizens and using political revenge while failing to answer people’s economic struggles.
The Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna National Organizer made the remarks while addressing a meeting in Kotapola, Matara.
He said the government was demeaning the sacrifices made by war heroes who gave their lives to secure victory. He questioned the meaning of medals, insignia and honours received by military personnel.
“What do you call the medal that war heroes proudly show to their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren? They call it ‘a piece of iron.’ It is shameful! War heroes must be thinking what kind of country they are living in,” he said.
Namal Rajapaksa Questions Election Delay
Speaking further, Namal Rajapaksa said the government had no clear idea about holding elections.
“The government still has no idea about an election. Because they know that if they go for an election, if there were provincial councils, it would hurt them,” he said.
He claimed that people in villages were now returning to the SLPP. According to him, young people and elders who voted for the party, those who did not vote for it, and those who expected change from the current government were now joining hands with them.
“Because we are a political party that has delivered on our promises. We have done what we said we would do,” he said.
He argued that the development seen in villages today came from previous SLPP-led governments.
“But back then, what did the JVP do? They made every effort to stop every single development project,” he said.
Rajapaksa said the JVP branded development projects as corrupt. He referred to claims made about the Colombo Port City, Uma Oya and Lotus Tower.
“They said that to build the Colombo Port City, Sigiriya would have to be destroyed,” he said.
He added that he was happy President Anura Kumara Dissanayake now spoke about Port City during foreign visits and invited investors there.
“I am happy about that, because he now acknowledges that the Colombo Port City built by President Mahinda Rajapaksa can become the economic hub of this country,” he said.
Development Projects and Village Benefits
Rajapaksa said critics once claimed there were rocks when the port was built. He also recalled comments about Uma Oya and the Lotus Tower.
“They asked whether the Lotus Tower was built for people to jump off from,” he said.
He said those same critics were now including these projects in their own development agenda. However, he accused the government of failing to understand how to use them properly.
“They don’t have a plan to deliver the benefits of these projects to the village people, to the child in Deniyaya, to the child in Kotapola. The government lacks that vision,” he said.
He then criticised the leadership of the government, saying a leader who once claimed dogs and animals could not cross highways was now in power.
“There is no point in asking such a leader whether he has a vision to deliver the benefits of these development projects to the children of village parents,” he said.
Rajapaksa also accused the government of insulting the Maha Sangha and targeting the Buddha Sasana.
“When religious leaders are criticized, when the sacred Buddha Sasana is targeted, the government is trying to maximize its political agenda by distancing children from religion and morality,” he said.
War Heroes and the Medal Controversy
Rajapaksa said he saw a senior official reduce war heroes’ medals to pieces of metal.
“I saw one official, a senior official in this country, reducing the medals of war heroes to pieces of metal,” he said.
He said officials wearing ties and coats, protected by the military, STF or police, could easily dismiss such medals.
“But behind that medal, behind that piece of metal, is their battle between life and death,” he said.
Rajapaksa said every child in the country now breathes freely because of the sacrifices made by war heroes.
“Every Sinhala, Tamil, Muslim, Burgher, Malay child, every child of every parent, every elder, lives freely today,” he said.
He said the government had forgotten the value of the medals carried by those who shed blood on the battlefield or became disabled during war.
He also referred to the arrest of a former Navy Commander and the imprisonment of intelligence chiefs.
“What is the government’s plan?” he asked.
Court Delays and Political Cases
Rajapaksa said ordinary criminal cases often take 10 to 12 years to move through the judicial system.
“There are young people in the villages who are caught up in false cases. There is no way to go abroad for foreign employment. There is no way to obtain a police clearance,” he said.
He added that some people had been going to courts for 20 to 30 years.
“Now, what is the government’s plan to resolve those cases? Our cases are heard in six months. Never mind. They should also provide justice to those people. They too deserve justice,” he said.
Rajapaksa said mocking war heroes, insulting the Maha Sangha or pursuing political revenge would not solve people’s problems.
“The government should remember that. People need answers to their hunger. They need a plan to strengthen the economy,” he said.
Farmers, Fertilizer and Rice Imports
Rajapaksa questioned the government’s plan to give farmers a fair price for their produce.
“What is the government’s plan to provide fertilizer to tea farmers and paddy farmers?” he asked.
He said a bag of fertilizer now costs between Rs. 15,000 and Rs. 20,000.
According to him, the government says relief will come when fertilizer arrives. However, by that time, the planting season has passed.
“Then that fertilizer is useless,” he said.
Rajapaksa accused the government of deliberately importing rice from abroad while paddy in Sri Lankan warehouses was being given as animal feed.
“When the harvest season comes, they deal a severe blow to the farmer’s economy,” he said.
He said tea farmers had also been made helpless, and their income had been destroyed.
Taxes, Cost of Living and Economic Pressure
Rajapaksa said the government often blames wars elsewhere in the world when questioned.
“There has always been a war somewhere in the world. During President Gotabhaya’s time, Russia and Ukraine fought. We stood up for the people,” he said.
He said the previous government did not impose unjust taxes. By contrast, he accused the current administration of imposing unbearable taxes on the public.
“Despite doing all that, the cost of living keeps increasing day by day,” he said.
He criticised increases in electricity bills and fuel prices.
“They increase by 100 and decrease by 20, playing games,” he said.
Rajapaksa again returned to the issue of war heroes, saying the government was demeaning the sacrifices of those who secured victory.
“When foreign leaders visit, war heroes wear those medals with pride,” he said.
He questioned whose interests were being served by disrespecting them and destroying their dignity.
“Who is being pleased? Whose needs and desires are being fulfilled?” he asked.
Rajapaksa also accused the government of pushing the economy towards collapse. He claimed a few businessmen loyal to the government were becoming millionaires and billionaires.
“To benefit a few government loyalists, innocent shopkeepers in the villages, selling betel leaves, are collapsing economically under unfair taxes,” he said.
Youth Unemployment and A-Level Pressure
Rajapaksa questioned the government’s solution to youth unemployment and graduate unemployment.
“What is the government’s solution to the youth unemployment problem? What is the government’s solution to the graduate unemployment problem?” he asked.
He also said A-Level students were under immense pressure because the exam had been brought forward.
“Who is there in the government to listen to the A-Level students? Who listens to them and stands up for them?” he asked.
Rajapaksa accused the government of using repression to threaten the people.
He claimed farmers had been told they would face police custody unless they said there was no issue. He said tea farmers faced the same pressure.
“When graduates take to the streets, they are beaten and chased away,” he said.
He also mocked the government’s previous promise to send fishermen SMS alerts about where fish could be found.
“The government that promised to send an SMS to tell fishermen where the fish are, today cannot even afford to send an SMS,” he said.
Call to Build a New Political Force
Rajapaksa said the government was unfairly pressuring people while collapsing the economy.
“That is why today, when we go to the villages, the people of this country are joining us. They are extending their hands,” he said.
He called on mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, friends and working families to come together.
“Let us all unite,” he said.
He urged supporters to build what he called a powerful force that understands the ground reality.
“A force that knows the ground, can build hope for your children’s tomorrow, a force that does not lie, that shows the truth, that deals with reality, that can engage with the world,” he said.
Rajapaksa ended by inviting the public to extend their hands and help build that force.
