Johnston decries Opposition tactics to get people onto roads to spread the pandemic for petty political gain

Chief Government Whip Highways Minister Johnston Fernando called on Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa and JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake to stop playing with the lives of the people for political gain.

 Addressing the media at the parliamentary complex after attending the Monday’s party leaders’ meeting, the Minister said that the government had been asking the Opposition not to encourage public protests. “I myself have been telling them that this is not the time to stage protests. Results of their protests are now visible. Infections are everywhere. Now, as the situation is getting worse, the Opposition is asking the government to close the country. Supposing we go for such a lockdown, then the very same Opposition will protest, asking for reopening. I call upon Sajith Premadasa and Anura Kumara Dissanayake to stop this.”

 Asked to comment on people closing down their shops in fear of the pandemic spread, the Minister said that those shop owners would have done so as the Opposition-led protesters had been protesting near them. “People should have listened to the warnings of health experts not to support such rallies and stayed away from them. Those who organised those rallies did not do so for the love of the people but for their need to fish in troubled waters and they thought that disrupting the government’s Covid-19 prevention programmes could help them achieve that goal.”

 Pointing out that the daily death toll had crossed 160, the Minister said that he had personally warned of the situation and repeatedly asked the Opposition members not to put the lives of people in danger by creating Covid-19 clusters. “Their response was that we wanted to stop rallies by using the pandemic as an excuse. Now, we see the results. These political parties have no concern for the people. They are like vultures.”

 Commenting on the mini-Cabinet reshuffle, the Minister said: “The President can effect changes to the Cabinet any time. He does so in keeping with powers vested in him. This is not the first time this country has seen a Cabinet reshuffle. The President has the power to effect changes as he thinks it will help the government to serve the public better.”