Minister Janaka Bandara Tennakoon, addressing a public meeting in Dambulla today, burst into tears when he spoke about the present state of affairs in the Sri Lanka Freedom Party.

He paused his speech has cried for nearly two minutes showing his disappointment over the recent developments in the ruling party.

“I am a pure SLFPer and I am committed to my party to the core. I’ve already informed the President about the injustices that have been done to me.  When  ‘Namal putha’ met me, I made him aware of this too.. But no one took my grievance into serious consideration,” Minister Tennakoon said in his speech.

The party was built up by the likes of my father. We strengthened the party. When I predicted what’s going to happen to the SLFP, they didn’t believe my words,” the Minister said.

“I am a policeman. And I am a politician. So I have both sides. The SLFP should not be subservient to any person. We should protect our party,” he added. He asserted that he would never leave the Sri Lanka Freedom Party and betray its supporters. 

On the day former General Secretary of the SLFP Maithripala Sirisena announced that he would be the common candidate of the opposition, Tennakooon made a controversial speech in Parliament saying the party had been taken hostage by drug-dealers and those who import ‘ethanol’. He said the traditional SLFP old guard has become helpless.

 His name was also mentioned in certain media reports as a ruling party member who might cross over to the opposition ahead of the presidential election.