Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa claimed that he was elevated to the state of a king for the first time by the current President Maithripala Sirisena, who was the first to use the term "Maha Rajano."

Once senior ministers started using this term, it was natural for others to follow their lead, he added.

Speaking at a public meeting in Balangoda, Ratnapura District, Rajapaksa also claimed that he had always asked his supporters not to refer to him as a king since it was a bad omen.

He hit out at the government for continuously blaming him to cover their incompetence. The government is only good at blaming him, Rajapaksa said, adding that the government has already proven that it is incompetent to govern the country.