Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya says that former President Ranil Wickremesinghe intentionally mislead state employees by promising a salary hike that he knew could not be implemented.

Speaking at a recent meeting, Amarasuriya criticized Ranil Wickremesinghe for claiming he had secured funds for salary increases, saying, "No one can simply decide to increase state employees' salaries overnight." She emphasized that proper procedures, including Treasury approval, must be followed for such decisions.

 It may have initially pleased the public, it became clear during implementation that the necessary funds had not been allocated. "This was an election-time deception," she asserted, calling into question the former President's motives.