Former Minister Wimal Weerawansa has revealed that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa had instructed him to resign from his portfolio in an angry phone call in August last year.
The MP revealed details of the phone conversation during a special media briefing held today following the sacking from his ministerial portfolio of Industries yesterday.
The MP told reporters that he had received an angry telephone call from the President in August last year after he along with MPs Udaya Gammanpila and Vasudeva Nanayakkara had called for a two-week lockdown to be imposed to contain the coronavirus pandemic.
Stating that the President had called him and chastised him for such a request, he said the President had told him that it was a wrong move and had also asked him to tender his resignation.
MP Weerawansa further revealed that later both MPs Udaya Gammanpila and Vasudeva Nanayakkara had also received similar phone calls, but had not been asked to step down from their ministerial portfolios.
The former Minister pointed out that the Government had later imposed a lockdown for almost a month, and questioned if that had not benefitted the country and resulted in containing the rapidly spreading virus.
Pointing out that during the tenure of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa as the President of the country all politicians were able to voice their approval and objections, he said Mahinda Rajapaksa had the leadership quality to listen to all views and take the necessary decisions.
MP Wimal Weerawansa said however, the current President lacks such leadership qualities. (NewsWire)
