Former Minister Harin Fernando clashed with police officers twice within 48 hours over General Election campaigning that allegedly violated election laws.

A tense situation erupted in Badulla today (11) between police officers and Fernando’s group, who were accused of violating election laws while campaigning in the city. Fernando and his supporters were seen wearing t-shirts resembling those worn by Argentine football star Lionel Messi.

Officials from the Badulla District Election Dispute Centre and the police observed that these outfits violated election rules, as they were deemed to indirectly promote Fernando’s candidacy. Additionally, the police noted that the campaign involved more than five people, exceeding the legal limit for such gatherings. Authorities instructed the group to halt their campaign activities.

This led to a heated exchange between Fernando, his supporters, and the police, during which Fernando expressed his frustration.

"Keep the t-shirt. Let’s enjoy the new government," Fernando said. "Election laws can’t be one way for the 'malimawa' and another for us. They wear t-shirts to everywhere. We're stopping out campaign for now, but I'll come back after winning the vote. Give me your (the police) blessings. I’ll see you after the election,” he stressed to the police officers.

Speaking to the media after that, Fernando added, "We are letting the NPP government enjoy their power for a while. There were police officers who were under our government too. Let’s uphold election laws properly."

Meanwhile, yesterday (10), Fernando was also seen exchanging words with police officers during an election campaign in Bandarawela.