• We advice the people including those who were planning to take to the streets on April 3 not to engage in violence
• SJB has not organised the protest on April 3 but will support it

By Yohan Perera   

A suspicious group was behind the violence at the protest near President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s residence at Mirihana on Thursday, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), alleged yesterday.   

SJB General Secretary Ranijth Madduma Bandara told a press conference that the people who surrounded the President’s residence came unarmed and it was not them who were behind the violence including the burning of the bus. He also dismissed the claim made by the President’s office that there were a group of extremists behind the violence.   

“A suspicious group who joined the protests later wearing helmets were behind the violence,” he said.   
“However we advice the people including those who were planning to take to the streets on April 3 not to engage in violence but to do everything possible democratically and peacefully to throw the present rulers out of power,” he added.    “SJB has not organised the protest on April 3 but will support it. Therefore we invite the people to participate in it.,” SJB MP Manusha Nanayakkara said.   Mr. Nanayakkara showed a picture of a single man setting fire to the bus near the President’s residence.   

The party condemned the attacks on media personnel who were attacked at the protest.