Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Member of Parliament Jagath Withana has launched a scathing attack against the Inspector General of Police (IGP), claiming a public statement made by the IGP has endangered his life and is part of a broader political conspiracy.
Withana stated that he was only made aware of his alleged connections to criminal gangs through the IGP’s media statement. He further revealed that he is listed at number 24 on a report containing various criminals, but emphasized that he is not identified as an accuser in the indictment section of that list.
The MP has raised this matter in Parliament through the Speaker, citing a breach of privilege. He highlighted that the IGP reportedly told him his security was temporary and could be removed at any time, implying that Withana was “the man waiting to be shot.” Withana defiantly declared he would not bow down to anyone and intended to send a message to the political sphere that such actions should not befall him.
Withana questioned the IGP’s motives, suggesting a “business story” was also propagated to tarnish his reputation, for which he intends to pursue legal action. He also speculated whether the attempt to link him with underworld gangs was an effort to achieve indirectly what the police could not, through these criminal elements. “I have only engaged in politics. Is it a crime to do politics?” he questioned.
The Samagi Jana Balawegaya has strongly condemned the alleged death threat against Kalutara District MP Jagath Withana and the IGP Priyantha Weerasooriya’s related media statements. The party issued a media release asserting that the IGP’s remarks attempt to “turn the complainant into the accused and the victim into a criminal.”
The SJB views the IGP’s indirect statements, which suggest Withana faces threats due to non-political reasons or involvement in illegal or personal actions, as a defamatory attack on a public servant. The party emphasized that the IGP’s responsibility is to accurately state the facts.
The SJB further stated that the IGP’s statements, aligned with the current government’s propaganda plan, cast doubt on the very existence of an independent police force. “In these processes, where the powers of the Independent Police Commission are handed over to the IGP, allowing him to issue statements as he pleases, we see the dark shadow of a repressive police state,” the statement read.
The party affirmed that it would take every possible measure against any attempt to downplay the decision regarding MP Jagath Withana’s security as part of a narrow political agenda, where police operations are turned into media spectacles to suppress real issues. The SJB also highlighted that this danger warrants the attention of all democratic political forces.
