Namal Rajapaksa says prison visits to Pillayan were no secret

Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) MP Namal Rajapaksa says there is nothing secret about his visit to TMVP leader Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan, also known as Pillayan while he was in prison in 2018 and 2019, adding that official prison records of those visits are available.

In a statement posted on X today (May 20), Namal Rajapaksa said Pillayan was part of the alliance that contested both the 2015 Presidential Election and the 2018 Local Government Elections at the time of the visits.

Rajapaksa also questioned the government’s priorities, claiming that the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) had reportedly travelled to France as part of investigations linked to the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks.

He said that if the purpose of the visit was only to confirm his meetings with Pillayan, it would amount to a waste of public funds.

The MP further stated that, to his knowledge, Pillayan is not currently being detained in connection with the Easter attacks, and questioned what he described as “media spectacles” surrounding the matter.

Namal Rajapaksa also accused the National People’s Power (NPP) government of presenting different narratives regarding the Easter Sunday attacks at different times.

He said that if the government is attempting to use the tragedy to target political opponents, it would be unfair to the victims and their families, who still deserve justice and genuine answers.

Rajapaksa added that he is prepared to face any fair inquiry and will cooperate fully with the CID to clear any doubts openly and transparently.

He also urged the government to focus on delivering meaningful results for the public instead of engaging in political drama and media-focused controversies.

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