Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa has thanked supporters who gathered in Anuradhapura for the SLPP’s “Jana Satana” rally, held while his son, SLPP National Organiser Namal Rajapaksa, remains in remand custody.
In a statement following the rally, the former President described the event as the beginning of a “people’s struggle for the self-respect of the motherland.”
Rajapaksa said Sri Lanka’s history showed that the country had faced invasions, resistance, betrayals and periods of decline before rising again, adding that those lessons remained relevant to the present.
“I believe that, for a country, an enemy within can be more dangerous than an enemy from outside. Those who betray their country for personal gain are dangerous. Those who justify betrayal and spread falsehoods are even more dangerous,” he said.
Rajapaksa said the objective of the SLPP was to once again create an environment in which people could live safely and happily while protecting Sri Lanka’s culture, identity and national character.
He thanked longtime political allies, young politicians and supporters who attended the rally despite the hot weather.
The rally came amid heightened political attention following the remand of Namal Rajapaksa, who was unable to attend the gathering.
Namal Rajapaksa had earlier sent a message from remand custody to the rally, invoking the words of Nelson Mandela and addressing SLPP supporters gathered in Anuradhapura. (Newswire)