The ‘immoral political deals’ that Sri Lankan political parties conduct behind the scenes, despite publicly criticizing each other, have once again been exposed during a recent visit to India. The entire country has been subjected to severe embarrassment on the international stage following a secret trip to India by Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) MP Namal Rajapaksa and a group of new Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MPs, during which Rajapaksa illicitly used the title of ‘Leader of the Opposition’—a position he does not hold.
The controversy deepened after Achyuta Samanta, the owner of KIIT, a private university in Odisha, India, posted on social media identifying Namal Rajapaksa as the ‘Leader of Opposition’ in Sri Lanka. While the genuine Leader of the Opposition, Sajith Premadasa, was in Sri Lanka, the sight of his own party’s MPs—including lawyers Chithral Fernando, Prasad Siriwardhana, Chathura Galappathi, and Chamindrani Kiriella—sitting quietly like ‘kittens’ next to Namal Rajapaksa clearly illustrates a severe disciplinary breakdown within the Samagi Jana Balawegaya and a secret political connection with the Rajapaksas.
Namal Rajapaksa’s attempt to create a false image higher than his current MP post confirms that the ‘Pohottuwa’ (SLPP) continues to engage in politics aimed at misleading the public. Conversely, the behavior of Sajith’s MPs, who toured India as ‘acolytes’ of the Rajapaksas, double-crossing their own leader and party, has further intensified the internal crisis within the Samagi Jana Balawegaya. Although Sajith Premadasa has announced that he will initiate disciplinary action, this incident clearly demonstrates that control of the party has slipped from his grasp.
This incident cannot be dismissed as a mere oversight, as accusations of ‘night political deals’ between certain factions of the SLPP and SJB have surfaced on numerous prior occasions. The engagement of his own MPs as part of the ‘entourage’ of a rival like Namal Rajapaksa during a foreign tour is a mortal blow to Sajith Premadasa’s leadership. At a time when the people are demanding system change, the true nature of these politicians—who perform a drama on the public stage while secretly traveling together behind the scenes—has now been fully revealed to the nation.
