VIDEO: Namal blames Aragalaya for tax and fuel price hike

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lankan lawmaker Namal Rajapaksa, who is linked to the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna slammed the Aragalaya, or People's Struggle, for paving the way for the increase in taxes, electricity tariffs, and fuel prices.

"Gotabaya Rajapaksa was reprimanded for not increasing the fuel prices. He was also reprimanded for not increasing the taxes. He was also reprimanded for not approaching the IMF. The current increases in prices and taxes has given the answer to those groups," he told the reporters on Tuesday (3).

Namal Rajapaksa said that President Ranil Wickremesinghe was appointed thanks to the Aragalaya.

Notably, Wickremesinghe became President of Sri Lanka following a constitutional vote in Parliament to elect the successive head of state following the resignation of Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who was forced to flee the country in the wake of mass protests.

According to the Presidential Elections (Special Provisions) Act (No. 2 of 1981), Wickremesinghe was elected by the majority vote of the Members of Parliament, commanded by the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramna.

"If not for the Argalaya, and if Gotabaya Rajapaksa was not forced to flee, we will not experience the tax increase, and the fuel price increase. he leader who reduced taxes, reduced the electricity tariff, and the fuel prices was driven away by the Aragalaya. So what else can be done by the person who came after, apart from increasing these prices" Namal Rajapaksa told reporters.

Namal Rajapaksa is the son of Former Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, and the nephew of ousted Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.