Former SLFP Parliamentarian Mahinda Samarasinghe said he would not take part in the rally to be held in Kalutara on August 3, as he had information that several individuals were planning to hoot at him.

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa is also slated to take part at the rally.

The State minister of Finance Samarasinghe addressing media personnel today said he had received two letters by post and information from the organisers that if he was to ever be on stage at the meeting he would be hooted at.  

“I have not done anything to be hooted at as I have only engaged in clean politics. If people hooted at me, media will report that the public hooted at me, not that it was a planned action by several individuals. There are several candidates who will do whatever it takes to win,” he said.  

“The former President, nor I would be able to control the situation if something like this were to happen,” he said.

Commenting on the incident where SLFP candidate Nandimithra Ekanayake was hooted at in Na-ula, Samarasinghe said he condemned such action.

“The party should conduct an investigation into the matter. If the party members in Matale had held a press conference right after the incident, they would’ve proven that the incident did not take place due to competition within the party. Such incidents would only reduce the number of votes due to the SLFP,” he said.(Darshana Sanjeewa)