Tamil National People’s Front (TNPF) leader and Jaffna District Member of Parliament (MP) Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam has requested Speaker Jagath Wickramaratne to change the parliamentary seating arrangement of MP Archchuna Ramanathan, alleging repeated harassment and intimidation.
In a letter dated June 23, Ponnambalam claimed that Ramanathan, who is seated next to him in Parliament, had “constantly” subjected him to verbal abuse, threatened him with violence and used derogatory language against him during District Coordinating Committee meetings and on social media.
Ponnambalam said the situation had deteriorated to the extent that it had become impossible for him to have Ramanathan seated beside him in the parliamentary chamber, claiming it was disrupting his ability to carry out his duties.
He also argued that Ramanathan, a first-time MP elected from an independent group, had been allocated a seat between leaders and senior members of recognised political parties, contrary to the usual parliamentary seating practice.
Ponnambalam requested the Speaker to relocate Ramanathan’s seat further to the left of the chamber, in line with the customary seating arrangement for independent MPs. (Newswire)