President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has criticised certain opposition groups for resorting to what he described as bizarre protest methods, including sticking pins into clay figures, questioning the mindset behind such actions.
Addressing the National Convention of the National Intellectuals Organization (NIO) on Saturday (31), the President said some groups that had benefited from the previous political culture were struggling to accept the changes introduced by the National People’s Power (NPP) government.
He accused these groups of resorting to hateful statements, fabricated claims and unusual protest activities in response to the government’s political reforms.
Referring to the practice of inserting pins into clay figures, President Dissanayake questioned what kind of thinking would lead someone to believe that harming a clay figure could cause pain to another person.
He said such actions reflected the inability of certain groups to come to terms with the political transformation taking place in the country.
The President also criticised claims that the NPP government was planning to cause the Ruwanwelisaya Stupa to sink, questioning how such an allegation could be made.
He warned that while organised political movements and protests with clear objectives were not harmful to the country, disorganised groups without a clear direction could create social instability.
President Dissanayake called on opposition groups to conduct their protests in an organised manner with a clear political vision.
He said the government would not be distracted by such activities but would remain vigilant against attempts to create instability.
The remarks come after a group of Buddhist monks and supporters staged a protest at Colombo’s Viharamahadevi Park demanding a presidential pardon for Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thera.
The protest, which began in mid-October, included religious chanting and ritual activities, with reports of clay figures being used in curse rituals directed at the President.
The monks had demanded that President Dissanayake either grant Gnanasara Thera a pardon or resign from office. (Newswire)
“What kind of mindset drives someone to stick needles into a clay figure, believing that I would feel the pain? What kind of mentality is that?”
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake questioned the bizarre black magic rituals allegedly carried out against him during the recent… pic.twitter.com/rio5VeYkKJ
— NewsWire 🇱🇰 (@NewsWireLK) October 31, 2026