The Cockerel party leader had imposed an unusual punishment on 15 party seniors who failed to attend a funeral! The deceased was a family member of a Diyawanna member of the party. 

The party leader first displayed the names of the 15 members with their mug shots on a board and later made an announcement that the promotions and a host of privileges enjoyed by them would be suspended for a specified period. Without stopping at that, he had issued a decree prohibiting all party members from attending a wedding or a funeral taking place at the residence of any of the 15 members.