Opposition MP Harsha de Silva has slammed the government and its allies for attempting to destroy his political image by twisting his recent comments on India.
In a video message, MP Harsha de Silva said that the government and its allies are claiming that he has betrayed the nation and should apologize, just for stating in Parliament that India should not be mocked.
“Why did I say what I said? Because India is currently facing a difficult situation with U.S. tax issues, and it’s a country that has helped Sri Lanka during our times of crisis. My statement in Parliament—that we should not laugh at India—was made publicly in response to actual events that occurred that day. It wasn’t something said in secret. The claim that posting that statement with English subtitles on my social media was wrong is absurd. Since entering politics, I’ve regularly shared my speeches with English and Tamil subtitles. The idea that my video going viral in India is somehow a mistake is also misleading. What they don’t realize is that some of my videos have gone viral outside Sri Lanka before,” the MP said.
MP Harsha de Silva further said that the most significant part of this smear campaign is that it represents the government’s newest weapon of suppression.
“I warn that in the future, anyone who expresses dissent may be branded a traitor. I’ve raised my voice against many issues dragging the country backwards—like the destruction of the electricity sector through the new Electricity Act, and the damage caused by the polycarbonate card system. These criticisms have clearly irritated the government, which now believes we must be suppressed. That’s the truth behind these attacks,” he pointed out.
The Opposition MP further said that it was now clear that destroying his political image is the government’s latest tactic.
“If my statement that we should not mock India is enough to damage diplomatic relations, and if that leads Indians to reduce their engagement with Sri Lanka, then what is the value of this government’s diplomatic efforts? When the country was drowning in an economic crisis, without fuel or medicine, some of the very people now in government said India should not send us dollars. Were they patriots then?” he questioned.
Stating that he is not a political puppet, MP Harsha de Silva said these childish smear campaigns cannot suppress the Opposition. (Newswire)