Former Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa claimed that current president Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s decision to remove his official residence and security detail is an act to appease the Tamil diaspora, which he alleges played a significant role in the current administration’s rise to power.
Rajapaksa stated that the actions were taken to fulfill the demands of the Tamil diaspora, who have long criticised his regime's massacre of Tamils during the Mullivaikkal genocide. Rajapaksa however defended his administration's actions during the armed conflict and instead recalled how Sri Lankan soldiers' coffins arrived at villages every week, in an attempt to describe the sacrifices made by the military under his leadership.
On the matter of his official residence, Rajapaksa said that he would not resist vacating the property if formally instructed by the government. He stated that he had accepted the residence when it was officially allocated to him by the ‘Yahapalana’ government of Maithripala Sirisena and Mahinda Rajapaksa. However, Rajapaksa emphasized that any attempt to force him out publicly would be seen as an effort to embarrass him.
Meanwhile Sagara Kariyawasam, General Secretary of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), explained that if the government officially requests Rajapaksa to vacate the residence, he would comply immediately. He stressed that the government would be responsible for any threats to Rajapaksa’s safety following the removal of his security.
Dissanayake, addressing the matter at a public meeting in Galgamuwa, strongly urged Rajapaksa to return the residence, declaring that he would not allow the former president to keep it. The current Sri Lankan president also reassured that a suitable residence would be provided to Rajapaksa if necessary. Dissanayake specifically criticized the massive size of Rajapaksa's official residence, pointing out that it spanned 30,500 square feet and had cost Rs. 470 million in renovations.
“We asked former presidents to make sacrifices. We said the house you live in is too big. Don’t waste public money,” Dissanayake said. He urged Rajapaksa to vacate the residence, stressing that, if needed, the government would find him alternative accommodation.