MP Archuna in fresh controversy over alleged slur against female lawyer

By Saman Indrajith

Leader of the House and Transport Minister Bimal Ratnayake yesterday called on Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickremaratne to take action against an MP who used what Ratnayake alleged was a sexually derogatory term against human rights activist and lawyer Swastika Arulingam.

Ratnayake stated that Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya had received a complaint that an MP had used derogatory, sexually explicit language to describe the lawyer.

“We are aware that this has happened. I draw the Speaker’s attention to Standing Order 91(g), which grants the Speaker the power to take action against an MP who uses offensive or disorderly language. The complaint states that extreme sexual violence was directed at lawyer Arulingam, and I call on the Speaker to investigate this complaint and take appropriate action against the MP,” Ratnayake said.

He did not identify the MP involved.

Parliament sources indicated that the serious remarks in question were made by Jaffna District MP Archuna Ramanathan.

Meanwhile, a post on Arulingam’s Facebook page stated:

“A Member of Parliament, Dr. Archuna Ramanathan, named a woman as a ‘prostitute’ in Parliament. Did anyone oppose this in Parliament? Did anyone demand that the woman’s name be struck off from the Hansard?

Dr. Archuna Ramanathan is using his parliamentary privilege to harass women. He has been using his position as a Parliamentarian to spew hatred against Muslims. While this may not be new to Parliament culture, I thought we were in an era where when a woman’s name is mispronounced, those statements are struck off from the Hansard. Or, are these privileges only for female members of Parliament and not for a woman from Ramanathapuram?”