Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa said that he is not worried about the constant attacks from his political rivals as it just makes him even more popular.

Speaking to a vernacular newspaper, Rajapaksa said that his opponents are worried that his supporters will form a new party, if they are expelled from the SLFP. Therefore, his opponents constantly attack him and his supporters, he added.

Rajapaksa also maintained that his rivals have been unsettled by the large crowds which attended the March 17 'Joint Opposition' rally. The SLFP members who tow the line of the UNP are going around making accusations. Former President Chandrika Kumaratunga, who is leading the attacks against him, campaigned on behalf of the UNP at the last general election, Rajapaksa also said.