In Parliament day before yesterday(22), MP Chamara Sampath, who is out on bail after serving jail time over a major corruption case, lodged a parliamentary privilege complaint against Sritharan MP, accusing him of acting in favour of the ruling party while serving on the Constitutional Council.
The complaint was dismissed by the Speaker, who ruled it could not be taken up for debate. However, political observers note that the move appears to be orchestrated by Chamara Sampath MP alongside Shanakkiyan MP, both of whom have a long-standing association dating back to their time under former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s political circle.
Shanakkiyan initially sought to become a member of the Constitutional Council, but ITAK MPs rejected his bid and instead nominated Sritharan MP . This rejection is believed to be the main reason behind Shanakkiyan’s latest move, teaming up with Chamara Sampath in Parliament to target and discredit Sritharan MP.
Sritharan MP made history as the first Tamil MP ever elected to the Constitutional Council through a Parliamentary vote, defeating Jeevan Thondaman by a single vote. His election was backed by 11 opposition MPs including Gajendrakumam Ponnambalam, while Shanakkiyan MP sided with Jeevan Thondaman and the ruling faction in an attempt to block Sritharan’s appointment.
Since then, Shanakkiyan MP and Chamara Sampath MP have been attempting to politically undermine Sritharan MP. Despite accusations that he supports the government in the Council, records show that Sritharan MP has voted against government decisions three times out of eleven, demonstrating an independent stance rather than bias.
Notably, both face serious allegations themselves. Shanakkiyan was named among 20 MPs in a government-released list of individuals under investigation for illicit asset accumulation, while Chamara Sampath was jailed for a 55-million-rupee fraud and is currently out on bail pending trial.
Political sources say this latest complaint is part of a broader campaign to weaken Sritharan’s growing influence within the Ilankai Tamil Arasuk Katchchi (ITAK). Previous attempts, ranging from liquor license allegations to bribery accusations, have all failed, only strengthening Sritharan’s standing both in Parliament and among Tamil voters.
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