SJB Colombo District mp S.M. Marikkar yesterday found fault with President Anura Dissanayake for failing to deliver on his promise to reveal the mastermind behind the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks.

Addressing the media at the SJB Headquarters, in Colombo, yesterday (22), Marikkar said that the President’s earlier claim—that the main perpetrator would be exposed—had not materialised. “The President said the mastermind behind the Easter attack would be revealed. But it hasn’t been. So, what the President said was a lie,” Marikkar pointed out.

Marikkar asked the government not to politicise the tragedy. “We must not allow the Easter attack to become a political tool or an election promise. The government must stop making false statements and theatrical declarations, and instead, genuinely investigate the roots of the attack,” he urged.

The MP said that no matter which government is in power, the issue must be resolved and justice served to the victims. He urged the current administration not to prolong the matter during its remaining tenure. “If there are delays in uncovering the truth, the government should not mislead the public with vague timelines.”

Marikkar also expressed concern that the administration seems to be taking the promise to expose the perpetrators lightly, despite the importance of the matter to the victims and their families. “If the government truly has a sense of responsibility and accountability for the promises made to the public, it should act decisively on this matter,” he said.

He accused the government of coming to power on the back of false promises. “Stop lying to the people. Only speak of what can be realistically achieved. Avoid making pledges you cannot fulfill,” he said.

Reflecting on the time elapsed, Marikkar noted that it has now been seven months since President Dissanayake took office, and six years since the deadly attacks. He also criticised the President’s latest statement, in which he claimed more time was needed to identify the mastermind. “This is yet another tactic to deceive the public by failing to fulfil promises,” he said. (SI)