Firing a salvo at the government's attempt to sell a 49% stake of the Eastern Container Terminal at the Colombo Port to the Adani Group of India, Cabinet Minister Prasanna Ranatunga said he was stongly opposed to the deal.

Ranatunga expressed his views on the contentious matter while addressing an SLPP meeting in the Gampaha district. The proposed deal has sparked a strong reaction from over 20 trade unions in the port sector.

Ranatunga said the selling of national assets was not the principle of the government and it was not part of the mandate given by the public at the last election.

The Minister expressed confidence that the President and the Prime Minister would not make any decision that would be detrimental to the mandate given by the public.

Ranatunga said they would not allow the sale of ECT to India and as a Cabinet Minister, he would not support the sale of national assets.

It is abundantly clear that the proposed deal with India has created a sharp division among the Cabinet Ministers of the SLPP government. While some Ministers openly promote the arrangement with an Indian company, some have already expressed dissenting viewpoints.