UNP Leadership Council Chairman Karu Jayasuriya has strongly criticized the Kandy Night Races calling it a media carnival and an obscene exhibition of racing cars and motor bikes!
In a strongly worded statement that was issued just before the commencement of car races, Jayasuriya says the event is being planned with their notorious efficiency which is woefully manifest in such wasteful tamashas but not in the day-to-day administration of the country’s burning issues.
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“Objections and protests have already been raised by the Kandy denizens, including the religious dignitaries in the Hill Capital. In a joint communique, a protest against holding of nightly car races scheduled for the 27th and 28th of this month in the historic town of Kandy, issued by the Mahanayakes of the three Nikayas is already on record. Laying emphasis on the narrowness of the roads in the city, in addition to the tremendous disturbance caused by car racing at night to the serenity of the city where the Temple of the Tooth is located are among salient reasons pointed out by the High Prelates of the Sasana. And they asked the Government not to hold the races,”” Jayasuriya said.
“The rulers, in this instance, should have paid more than cursory heed to the request made by the Mahanayakes. All indications are that scant respect and attention have been paid to the request of the Maha Sangha. Their sole aim has been to go ahead with the unholy act for which they had already made massive preparatory work,” the UNP Leadership Council Chairman asserted.
“The most unfortunate feature of all this is the fact that there accrues no economic benefit to the country nor any advantage in the field of sports by holding these nightly car races in a serene city such as Maha Nuwara. Their personal glory and stupid arrogance have overtaken sane thinking and prudent decision-making. No lover of the country could justify the enormous amount of country’s resources squandered on events such as this. The United National Party most steadfastly request the Government to do away with this nightly carnivals and heed the request made by the Mahanayakes. If the rulers are what they profess to be, Sinhalese Buddhist patriots and guardians of our cultural values, then they should not hesitate to cancel this maddening exhibition of obscenity and arrogance,” he also added.
