A Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) member has decided to resign following an incident in which the Arachchikattuwa Pradeshiya Sabha Chairman allegedly threatened her and expelled her from the council. Sri Lanka Latest News
Nikini Ayodhya (21), the youngest member of the Arachchikattuwa Pradeshiya Sabha and a representative of the SJB, announced her decision to resign.
She made this statement during a media briefing held yesterday afternoon (13) at the Samagi Jana Balawegaya head office in Chilaw.
The briefing was organized by the Local Government Women’s Forum, with members of both the Samagi Jana Balawegaya and the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna in attendance.
Forum Chairperson Diliya Fernando strongly condemned the statement suggesting that a woman is being “slapped,” adding that the chairman should immediately be referred to a psychiatrist for a proper diagnosis.
On the afternoon of (12), Arachchikattuwa Pradeshiya Sabha Chairman Jayaratne Jayasekara lodged a complaint with the Arachchikattuwa Police regarding an incident in which he allegedly threatened Ayodhya by cursing her.
In her own complaint to the police, Ayodhya stated that when she visited the Pradeshiya Sabha to collect her MP identity card from the chairman, he verbally abused her and threatened her not to return to the council.
“I went to bring my MP identity card. It was with the chairman. When I asked for it, he cursed me repeatedly. He said, ‘You bastard.’ He said he didn’t want to see that poor girl and that he wouldn’t give me anything for three years. I cried and left. Later, an office assistant handed me my identity card. We entered politics to do something for the village, but women in politics face insults and abuse from men, and it is only getting worse. I am requesting an investigation into this matter,” she said.
When questioned, Chairman Jayaratne Jayasekara admitted that he had asked the female MP to leave his office, claiming he had been under pressure at the time due to several issues.
He further stated that the opposition’s behavior during the previous day’s budget session also contributed to the situation.
The Arachchikattuwa Police have launched a special investigation into the incident.
