September 08, Colombo (LNW): National People’s Power (NPP) leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake has responded to accusations of making threatening comments towards the Northern population during a recent visit to Jaffna.
Dismissing the criticism, Dissanayake pointed to Tamil National Alliance (TNA) spokesperson MP MA Sumanthiran’s defence as the ‘definitive response’ to the controversy.
The NPP’s Presidential Candidate emphasised that he sees no need to answer Wickremesinghe’s accusations, asserting that Sumanthiran has already provided the correct explanation.
“It is Ranil who should apologise for attempting to incite racial tensions,” Dissanayake alleged, revising the blame on the President, whom he accused of exploiting the situation to sow division.
The controversy arose following Dissanayake’s remarks during a public address in Jaffna, which were interpreted by some, most notably including President Wickremesinghe, as a veiled threat to the Tamil community.
Wickremesinghe had publicly called on Dissanayake to apologise to the Northern people, accusing him of coercive rhetoric.
However, TNA MP Sumanthiran earlier came to Dissanayake’s defence, asserting that the remarks were not racially motivated and praising Dissanayake for his consistent commitment to eradicating racism in the country.
Dissanayake’s rebuttal signals a continuation of tensions between the NPP leader and the government, particularly with Wickremesinghe, who has been vocally critical of Dissanayake’s political approach.
Meanwhile, Sumanthiran’s support for Dissanayake, despite the TNA’s pledged allegiance to the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), has sparked dialogue within political circles about the future of alliances and how opposition leaders will navigate complex ethnic and regional dynamics during the upcoming election.
This incident has underscored the often-fragile relationship between political figures in Sri Lanka and the sensitivities surrounding ethnicity, particularly in the Northern region, which has long been at the heart of the nation’s conflict and post-war reconciliation efforts.
It also highlights the potential for such disputes to escalate into larger debates about racial politics, leadership, and the direction of national unity in the country’s future.
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