A video clip showing National People’s Power (NPP) MP Lakmali Hemachandra stating, “We told you not to follow the court order,” has gone viral since emerging yesterday, sparking significant public criticism over the apparent disregard for a judicial ruling.
The incident occurred during a recent Provincial Coordination Committee meeting, which was presided over by Deputy Minister of Public Security Sunil Watagala. The meeting was convened to address long-standing housing and land disputes in Colombo, particularly the case of families facing eviction from land near Narahenpita.
The contentious remark was made during a heated discussion regarding residents settled on land acquired by the Road Development Authority (RDA) at Dabare Mawatha, Narahenpita. Despite a court order being issued for their eviction, the discussion revealed that the families have resided in the area for decades, with some present for over 25 years and possessing documents such as electricity bills and electoral registry entries.
During the meeting, an RDA official explained that the land was legally acquired for the Baseline Road Project and that a court order for eviction was obtained after the residents, deemed “unauthorized settlers,” refused to vacate. The official noted that they were seeking a new motion to proceed with the eviction.
Other representatives at the meeting pleaded the residents’ case, highlighting their long-term occupancy and vulnerable status. One local politician recounted how he and another local politician had previously been jailed for seven days after intervening to prevent an earlier eviction attempt. He made an emotional appeal, stating the residents were “not animals to be thrown out” and were willing to relocate anywhere if provided with alternative housing.
It was in this context that MP Lakmali Hemachandra intervened. The transcript of the meeting captures her statement: “We discussed this last week, didn’t we? I said then not to implement the court decision against them because they have nowhere to go. Didn’t we come to such an agreement?”
This statement drew an immediate and firm response from Deputy Minister Sunil Watagala, who was chairing the meeting.
“No, wait. If there is a court decision, we do not interfere with its process,” Watagala stated, correcting the premise of Lakmali Hemachandra’s remark.
However, the Deputy Minister then sought a practical solution, acknowledging the government’s policy responsibility. “With due respect to the court case… we cannot throw these people onto the street like animals,” he said. “We have a plan to provide apartments… Until that plan is implemented, we request the RDA… to see if you can [delay] the process related to your decision.”
Watagala emphasized that this was a policy-level request to the RDA to delay proceedings until the government’s housing plan could be enacted, and not an instruction to defy the court.
Despite the nuanced discussion and the Deputy Minister’s correction, the isolated clip of MP Lakmali Hemachandra’s comment has continued to circulate, fueling criticism over perceived political interference with the judiciary.
