"My son has been working in Colombo Port City since 2016. What's the problem about it," State Minister Ajith Nivard Cabraal asked.

Cabraal made this remark while responding to a query by journalists about the Port City bill and his son's involvement in the project.

"My son is well-educated and he can work anywhere. He has been working for Port City since 2016 and I see no problem with that," the State Minister said.

The government, however, has come under severe fire over the Port City Bill which is now before Parliament. A number of Buddhist monks who were instrumental in the ruling party's last election campaigns are among the staunchest critics of the bill.