SLFP returnees smeared in sewage: Basil proposes political distancing

Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna ( SLPP) National Organiser Basil Rajapaksa this week made it clear that those who left them during the Yahapalana government would be welcomed back, but they need to maintain the distance. He clearly meant political distancing, and not social distancing.

He was referring to the Sri Lanka Freedom Party ( SLFP) members who had returned to contest on the SLPP ticket.

Mr

Rajapaksa was trying to explain to his supporters how the returnees should be treated. It has been no secret that some of the SLFP members contesting on the SLPP ticket have been snubbed at political rallies.

“Some people left us saying that there was some cow dung in our milk container and jumped into a sewage tank. Now they have climbed out of the tank and returned to us. When they come back, we must accept them, but we should not embrace them. We all know what would happen if we embrace a person who is smeared in sewage,” Mr Rajapaksa told his supporters during a meeting.

He said they would definitely welcome them back out of compassion. However, Mr Rajapaksa pointed out that to work together they must first need to purify those who were smeared in sewage.

That seemed a stinging attack on SLFPers who are contesting under the SLPP banner, one of whom is former President Maithripala Sirisena.

Sniping between the two have been going on for some time, and just last week the SLFP office bearers threatened legal action against SLPP members who attacked them from political platforms.

Clearly, SLPP National Organiser Basil Rajapaksa has been under pressure from SLPP candidates who are engaged in the ‘ manapey porey’ ( fight for the preference vote) often called the ‘ balu porey’ (dog fight) with SLFP candidates contesting from the same list in the districts.