SJB stirs uproar over Rambukkana shooting leading to suspension of sittings

By Saman Indrajith

Parliamentary sittings had to be suspended following an uproar by SJB MPs yesterday condemning the government for the Rambukkana shooting.

MPs of the main opposition party SJB staged a protest in the House chamber hoisting placards with various slogans. SJB MPs came to the House yesterday wearing a sticker saying ‘No to bloodshed’ on their dress.

When the Chief Government Whip and Public Security Minister got up to make a statement on the incident, the SJB MPs shouted at him. Minister Ranatunga continued his speech despite protests. SJB MPs shouted that leaders of this government were murderers and they killed people at Rambukkana.

Minister Ranatunga said that the protesters at Rambukkana had attempted to set a bowser containing 33,000 litres of fuel on fire. If not for the police action to disperse them using minimum force, the entire Ramukkan area would have been obliterated.

The Minister said that the government had requested the Human Rights Commission to conduct an impartial and independent inquiry into the incidents at Rambukkana on Tuesday.

The SJB MPs shouted ‘murderers’ at the government MPs who also retaliated hurling verbal abuse at opposition MPs. In some places they resorted to unparliamentary language. Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa was also in the chamber at the time.

After Minister Ranatunga, Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa spoke and the government MPs shouted.

UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe told the House that there was no point in MPs shouting at each other because such shouting would not bring out anything meaningful to help solve the prevailing problems. “The MPs should first focus on why we are here at this moment and give priority to achieve that objective of finding means to lead the nation out of the crisis,” the former Prime Minister said.