Hooting continues: SLFP organizer Aariyawathi Galappatthi gets hooted

COLOMBO (News 1st) - Members of the SLFP yet again received strong opposition from the general public at an SLPP rally in Kantale. The incident happened when SLFP Trincomalee District Organizer Aariyawathi Galappatthi was addressing the masses. Ariyawathi Galappaththi, SLFP Trincomalee District Organizer was contacted over the phone and inquired into the incident by the News 1st. "They said what they wanted to say. They hooted, I told them that this is not a place to hoot and I showed my respect by stopping my speech. I am sad but I don't think about it much. I am not a woman who will surrender to anyone" she responded. Question: What if this happens again when you go to participate in election campaigns? Ariyawathi Galappaththi stated that she is an experienced individual in politics and she knows how to respond to another incident like this. She added that her roots are nourished in the UNP and she would let time decide. She went on to note that although they said that hooting has stopped it occurred again to her and she expects it will stop within a week or two. Question-If that doesn't happen? Ariyawathi Galappaththi responded that she would not hasten and will deal with the incident accordingly. Azath Salley, Leader of the National Unity Alliance: "Even though some want the marriage between the SLFP and SLPP, members of the Pohottuwa are tired of it. That's why anyone from the SLFP is hooted when they set foot on stage. Yes, we saw Ariyawathi Galappaththi was hooted, instead of wearing a blue saree she wore a saree with pohottuwa colours. She was not allowed to talk as she was hooted and forced away to sit. If they have an ounce of self-respect they will never set foot on that stage again." Dayasiri Jayasekera, General Secretary of the SLFP: "Once Basil Rajapaksa in his Southern slang said, the Podujana Peramuna was created to spread hatred against us in villages. So that is the prevailing hatred. I said 'Sir it is quite hard to resolve this hatred because people in villages are to used to live in deep-rooted hate, so we should systematically plan. SLPP received 5 million votes in February 2018 and Gotabaya Rajapaksa will receive those votes for sure. The SLFP has 1.7 million but the question is can we get all those votes. Some people wanted to align themselves with the SLPP and even under all sorts of issues they face. We have to get the support of the Extreme SLFP and SLPP faithful. But at the end of the day, it is the neutral supporter who tries to unify both the parties gets scolded and hooted. So I said to keep aside all differences, problems and hate. We know what to do, we should work towards building the house, please don't fight for the rooms. The motive of the SLFP is to build the house and to share its rooms."