JVP youth wing accuses President using state resources for political campaign

By Saman Indrajith

The JVP youth wing Socialist Youth Union yesterday accused President Ranil Wickremesinghe of abusing state resources for political campaigns and alleged that vehicles and people from the National Youth Council had been deployed for the UNP’s election work.

Addressing the media at the JVP Headquarters, in Pelawatte, National Organiser of the SYU, Eranga Gunasekera said that Youth Summit 2024, promoting President Wickremesinghe, had been held at the Kandy Presidential House. They had also got eight buses and funds from the NYC and 500 NYC members in the Kandy District for the function.

“The names of the list of NYC members assigned to ask questions from the President and the specific questions to be asked, too, have now been leaked to social media. We demand to know on what grounds the authorities consider NYC as family property of the UNP presidential candidate,” Gunasekera queried.

“President Wickremesinghe’s recent Kuliyapitiya rally was organised by the UNP. However, NYC sent six dance troupes, four vans and a cab for this function.

“We have nothing against them holding their political rallies but there should be an end to abusing of public funds for these projects. The NYC is not UNP’s private property to be abused in this manner. The NYC officials are forced to send letters to their members making it mandatory to attend these events.

“The NYC has become the cat’s paws of UNP political projects. It is horrible to see the way the NYC funds and resources are being abused for the political gain of a government which allocated only Rs 1,000 million for the benefit of youth in the Budget. As per this allocation, the amount of money allotted for a single youth is Rs 212 for the whole year. It is such a government that promises the moon and sun to the youth in these rallies,” Gunasekera said.

SYU National Committee Members Mahinda Jeewa and Shanika Madhurangi also addressed the press.