Govt. imposed strict travel restrictions on racial based attitude: Mujibur Rahman

• The same attitude arose with regard to the last rites of COVID-19 victims

By Yohan Perera 

The decision to impose strict travel restrictions for three whole days shows the government’s racial based attitude, an Opposition Muslim MP said yesterday. 

SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahman told a press conference that the travel restrictions were not imposed following the advice of health experts but were a result of the government’s racial based attitude. 

“Health experts were urging the government for travel restrictions and for a lockdown from April this year, but the government turned a deaf ear. Finally, travel restrictions were imposed, and it was announced that people will be able to go out on the basis of the last digits of national identity card. However, it was announced suddenly yesterday morning that people cannot go out at all. This is a decision based on a racial attitude of the government,” Mr. Rahman said.  “The Government showed the same attitude when an issue arose with regard to the last rites of COVID-19 victims. Burying of COVID-19 victims was allowed only after the Prime Minister of Pakistan made a request,” he added. 

“If our festival of Ramadan fell in April the government would have gone for a complete lockdown by now. Unfortunately, it fell during this month,” he added. 

• If our festival of Ramadan fell in April the government would have gone for a complete lockdown by now. Unfortunately, it fell during this month