People must discard political parties and come forward to get rid of parasitic politicians, former MP Ranjan Ramanayake told journalists in Colombo yesterday.He made the appeal when a journalist asked him whether he would try to unite the UNP and the SJB.
“I am always with people. When I started politics Sajith and Ranil were friends. Now, they are enemies. I joined SJB because UNP didn’t give me nominations over my fight against the organised gans engaged in soil extraction business,” he said.
Ramanayake said people were divided on political lines and that they must come together.
“Politicians think Aragalaya is over. Now people have to pay politicians for property damages. These politicians have made money by questionable means. These houses were built from people’s money. Now, people have to compensate them!” he said.
Ramanayake said that a number of politicians who were claiming compensation had exaggerated their losses.
“A person who lost one house says he has lost two. If they had lost 10 gold sovereigns, they say they have lost 20. How is the government going to compensate them? By taxing bread and other commodities. People who bring in drugs and steal public funds get positions and titles. Protesters who campaigned against corruption are in jail,” he said.
(RK)