Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa said the current government was 'militarizing' the country's system of governance. 

Addressing the Joint Opposition's protest rally in Colombo, Rajapaksa said giving police powers to the military to curb the drug menace was only the initial part of this process. 

"The military will soon start hear court cases too" Rajapaksa cautioned his supporters.

He also asked if the backbenchers of the UNP and the SLFP were in agreement with such measures. 

He also told the international community to 'think twice' before dealing with the current government. 

"When we come back to power, we will reverse some of their deals. So I want to warn the international community to tread carefully," the former President, who fell out of power in January 2015, said.