The United National Party (UNP) has strongly condemned the arrest of the National Organiser of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) and Member of Parliament Namal Rajapaksa, by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC).
Issuing a statement, the UNP said the arrest appears to be aimed at sabotaging a public rally organized by the SLPP, which is scheduled to be held in Anuradhapura on September 12, under the leadership of Namal Rajapaksa.
The party also said it must be recognized that Namal Rajapaksa, as the SLPP’s National Organiser, has the same democratic right as National People’s Power (NPP) leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake to travel around the country and hold public meetings.
The UNP said no modern, civilized society would approve of depriving an individual of such democratic rights, adding that the Gen Z generation, in particular, views such actions with strong disapproval.
The statement claimed that such actions by the NPP government demonstrate its growing vulnerability amid declining public support.
The UNP further stressed that the popularity of political leaders among the public cannot be diminished through actions such as arrests.
