Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa has issued a special statement condemning the double homicide that took place in Akuregoda, Thalangama.

In his statement, Premadasa said the government must explain to the country how such “Chicago-style” killings could occur even within a high-security zone.

He stated that he was deeply shocked by the news of the murders and warned that the incident once again highlights the deteriorating situation facing the country.

Premadasa pointed out that restoring law and order was one of the main slogans used by the current government to come to power. 

He said repeated assurances made on public platforms about the government’s ability to ensure security are now being called into question and the brutal murder further demonstrates that law and order in the country has collapsed and that the government has failed to ensure public safety.

He also alleged that the measures taken by the government to maintain law and order are merely media spectacles. 

Premadasa criticized what he described as attempts to evade responsibility by linking every murder to the underworld or drug traffickers while claiming to combat organized crime.

Describing the incident as a serious challenge to the rule of law, he stressed that maintaining law and order is the government’s inalienable responsibility in order to protect citizens’ lives and uphold justice in society.

Premadasa called on the authorities to immediately conduct a thorough investigation into the double murder and bring those responsible to justice. 

He further urged the government to take urgent steps to restore national security, noting that such an incident had occurred even within a high-security zone.

He also demanded that the government clarify the facts to the public, particularly at a time when a state of emergency has been imposed and the tri-forces have been deployed to maintain law and order across the country.