• The Speaker suspended sittings in the House for a short period
• The protest was held during the presence of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in the House

 By Yohan Perera and Ajith Siriwardana  

Protests staged by some opposition groups including Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) and TNA compelled Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardene to suspend sittings in the House for a short period.  

The protest was held during the presence of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in the House.  

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe had come to the end of his statement when the opposition MPs started the protests holding placards shouting ‘Gota Go Home.’ The placards said the same slogan.  

Ruling party MPs also became aggressive by shouting back. The situation was getting tense when the Speaker suspended the sitting for a short period.