The political hypocrisy and abuse of state power by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (NPP) government were publicly exposed once again today (November 21st) when the Sri Lanka Police ordered the silencing of loudspeakers at a planned joint opposition rally in Nugegoda. Organizers of the rally accuse the police of selectively enforcing the law, using the G.C.E. Advanced Level (A/L) examination as a pretext, and claim the action is a tactic to suppress democratic protest.
Tangalle vs.Nugegoda: A Clear Double Standard
This incident clearly demonstrates a double standard in police operations. Yesterday (November 20th), the police granted permission for loudspeakers at an NPP rally in Tangalle, chaired by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. However, today, the same A/L examination is being cited to force the removal of loudspeakers for the opposition’s rally scheduled at the Ananda Samarakoon Open Air Theatre in the Mirihana Police Division.
United National Party Deputy General Secretary Harin Fernando stated that the loudspeakers have been removed under police coercion. This, he asserted, unequivocally proves that the NPP administration, which boasts about the rule of law, ignores sound regulations when it provides them with a political advantage and then weaponizes those same regulations to repress opposition gatherings.
State Power as a Political Tool
The NPP government has faced continuous accusations of selectively applying the law against the opposition and using state institutions like the Police and the CID as political tools. The Nugegoda incident provides further confirmation of these charges.
The use of a sensitive national matter like the A/L examination as a smokescreen to silence the voice of political rivals reveals the authoritarian tendencies of the NPP regime. This is more than just the removal of loudspeakers; it is an attempt to quiet the voice of dissent against the NPP’s conduct. Much like the previous attempts to cover up the government’s unpopularity by issuing quota orders to the police to bring crowds to the Tangalle rally, this is a clear instance of trampling on democratic rights.
This event undeniably confirms that the NPP government, instead of delivering the policy change it promised the nation, has merely facilitated a change of rulers, adopting the coercive traditions of previous regimes. This double standard is a severe blow not only to the rule of law but to the entire democratic process.
