The Students' Union of the University of Colombo has stated that they are protesting against the appointment of Ven. Murutthettuwe Ananda Thera as the new Chancellor of the University.

The union has stated this in a letter to President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa.

Ananda Thera, the head of the nurses' union, has been a staunch supporter of the current ruling party before the last presidential election.

However, he became critical of certain actions of the government in the recent past and stressed the need for a political change.

Many observers have pointed out that Ananda Thera's appointment as the Chancellor of the university is a blatant move to silence the influential monk through perks and privileges.

The appointment, however, has sparked fierce criticism in the university sphere.