Patali against SAITM, but supports due to Min. position - Vasudeva

MP Vasudeva Nanayakkara stated that although Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka claimed that there is no garbage disposed on the roads in Colombo, there is evidence of illegal dumping all around the city. 

The comments were made during a media briefing held in Colombo today (10). 

Vasudeva added that Ranawaka does not support the functioning of SAITM (South Asian Institute of Technology and Medicine), and has only pledged his support to secure his ministerial position in the current government. 

He further added that Ranawaka believes a chaotic situation similar to that in 1988 and 1989 will occur in the future, if SAITM isn’t abolished. 

Vasudeva stated that such a situation is unlikely to occur as the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), no longer has the power to  influence the students like they did in the past, and that the students of the millennium have the support of  various unions and are not alone. 

Responding to a question, Vasudeva stated that if all the anti-governmental parties were to stage a protestive gesture against the government, its outreach and consequences will be greater than that of the Harthal that took place in 1953.  

He further stated that there was no way to see whether the people of the country supported the current government without an election.