The Black Flag Week, launched by Pivithuru Hela Urumaya General Secretary Udaya Gammanpila in protest against the government, has caused differences in the ranks of the ‘Joint Opposition’, political sources said.

Several representatives of ‘Joint Opposition’ representing the SLFP, which backs former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, have opposed to Gammanpila's 'black flag' protest.

They have argued that it was too early to lead masses against government. Accordingly, the initial step of the ‘Joint Opposition’ should be attempting protect people from government’s harmful decisions, they have pointed out.

Although Gammanpila requested public to raise black flags at homes and vehicles, even many representatives of the opposition have not joined him in support.

UPFA MP Udaya Prabhath Gammanpila said that black flag protest against the government was successfully in progress and supported by many. Gammanpila said that people had joined the protest through Facebook accounts as well.

Meanwhile, Deputy Minister of Social Empowerment and Welfare Ranjan Ramanayake recently said that the general public had no interest in engaging in the black flag protest against the government.