Former Minister Wimal Weerawansa said the police had defied clear instructions given by the President to prevent the crowd gathered at Temple Trees from entering the Galle Face protest site.

Weerawansa said the President gave these instructions to Senior DIG Deshabandu Tennakoon.

However, Tennakoon was later photographed accompanying pro-government goons to the Galle Face protest site.

Weerawansa said IGP Chandana Wickremaratne and the Secretary to the Ministry of Public Security had acted in contrary to the President’s instructions.

“They had directed all police stations to do the bare minimum (shape ekey inna)”, Weerawansa said in Parliament yesterday.