Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Dr. Rajitha Senaratne said prioritisation of national economic development in line with the neo-liberal model at the cost of human lives would not bode well for Sri Lanka.

Dr. Senaratne told a press conference that social justice is also important at this moment. “Priority should be given to saving lives of the people rather than thinking of the economy. What is the use of a stable economy if the people die one after the other? What the pandemic has made clear globally is that social justice plays a big role as well in a society,” Dr. Senaratne said.

“Nearly 5,000 people are infected with Covid-19 daily while 250 persons succumb to the disease every day,” he said, quoting some health officials challenging the numbers put out by the government.

SJB General Secretary Ranjith Madduma Bandara who also participated in the press conference said nearly 6,000 people who have died of COVID are really murders.

“COVID deaths in Sri Lanka are murders as they have occurred due to negligence of the authorities,” he said.

Highlighting on yesterday’s cabinet reshuffle, Mr. Madduma Bandara told Daily Mirror that his party will wait and see how the new Minister of Health Keheliya Rambukwella will perform.

“We will wait and see how he performs and then we will comment on his performance,” he said. (YOHAN PERERA)