Controversial Jaffna District MP Archchuna Ramanathan was involved in another heated exchange in Parliament today, alleging he was being denied the opportunity to speak.
“I can’t speak (for) 77 days in this Parliament,” he said, after the Speaker instructed him to read only the contents of a document he had tabled.
Ramanathan said that his rights were impeded after being stopped by Anuradhapura Police on January 20 and unable to produce an official parliamentary ID.
He said he was traveling from Jaffna to Colombo with his attorney when traffic officers intercepted his vehicle and demanded identification without providing a clear reason.
Although he identified himself as a Tamil minority representative, officers insisted on an official parliamentary ID, which he had not received. He attempted to present an ‘official windscreen pass’ bearing the Parliament emblem, but the officers did not accept it, Ramanathan said.
Calling the incident a violation of his parliamentary privileges, Ramanathan criticized Parliament for failing to issue him proper identification. “It’s a shame that after two months, this was the only document I had. No identity card or Parliament pass was provided on the 21st. Only after this incident, on the morning of the 22nd, was it given to me,” he said.
As Ramanathan continued his protest, MP Dayasiri Jayasekara accused the MP of disrupting proceedings. “On one hand, he blames Parliament. Then he raises ethnic issues, using terms like ‘minority’ which we never use. He has a mental disorder; we should send him to a doctor. Don’t allow this to continue,” Jayasekara urged the Speaker.
In response, the Speaker reminded MP Ramanathan that a traffic violation had been reported against him. “The law of this country applies to everyone equally. No one, regardless of MP status, is above the law,” he said.
Meanwhile, Leader of the House Bimal Rathnayake said that resolving Ramanathan’s speaking rights was the responsibility of the Opposition. “The MP is using the privilege issue to raise concerns about a different matter,” he said.
The Speaker also instructed the materials irrelevant to the matter submitted by MP Ramanathan to be expunged from the Hansard.(Newswire)