State Minister Roshan Ranasinghe said the SLFP, a constituent party in the government, was behind the farmers protests taking place across the country.

Speaking to the media from Polonnaruwa, Ranasinghe said the SLFP should leave the government without sabotaging activities of the government from within.

This is the first time a state minister representing the ruling party blamed the SLFP for organising farmers' protests across the island.

"Fifty percent of paddy farmers demand organic fertilizer, which means they don't want chemical fertilizers. It shows that the government and the President's organic fertilizer program have won," Ranasinghe said.

"Therefore, we request you to try to cultivate paddy with organic fertilizers for one or two seasons," he said.

The State Minister said he too would take to streets if justice was not served to farmers.