Sajith calls for inquiry on witch hunt launched against Muslims in 2019

Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa 

Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa urged the Government yesterday to initiate an inquiry into those responsible for targeting the Muslim community through racist policies in Sri Lanka following the 2019 Presidential election.

Speaking in Parliament, Premadasa condemned the forcible cremations carried out by the Government during the COVID-19 pandemic as one of the most reprehensible acts by a Government, targeting a particular religious and ethnic community. 

He also accused the Gotabaya Rajapaksa led Government at the time, of using a professional committee to implement their racist agenda.

“Even when the WHO said this move was wrong, a special committee in this country was established to target the Muslim and Islamic community in Sri Lanka,” he said.

The Opposition Leader urged the President to launch an inquiry into those responsible for implementing racist policies that violated the fundamental rights of the Muslim community. “It was a witch hunt against one community,” he said.

Premadasa emphasised the need for the Government to introduce new laws while concurrently investigating the individuals or entities behind the racist actions initiated after the 2019 Presidential election.