Cannot approve Police arrests of protesters – Namal

Minister of Sports Namal Rajapaksa says he does not approve of the manner in which Police officers have been arresting persons staging protests.

Minister Rajapaksa said he does not approve the way Police officers took action against protesters during the tenure of the previous good governance government and even when Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa was the leader of the country.

Speaking to the media in Colombo, Minister Rajapaksa said the public has a right to protest.

Minister Rajapaksa said while the right to protest is justified, they cannot violate quarantine regulations.

The Minister claimed the world is battling the coronavirus pandemic and therefore the public must act in a responsible manner to refrain from further spreading the virus.

When questioned over Police actions against opposition protests and the teacher union protests, Minister Rajapaksa assured they always stand for what is right.

When questioned over the appointment of Basil Rajapaksa as the Minister of Finance, Minister Namal Rajapaksa said the decision was taken by Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa.

He stated Minister Basil Rajapaksa will continue the work of the Prime Minister in his capacity as the Finance Minister.

He noted that Basil Rajapaksa is currently identifying timely changes that are currently required. Minister Rajapaksa said Basil Rajapaksa must be a part of the government as he was directly involved in the SLPP during elections.

The Minister noted that Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa identified the skills of Basil Rajapaksa and therefore chose to hand over the post of Finance Minister.

(Source: News Radio)