Politics

Five people were taken into custody by the Katana Police for allegedly insulting President Anura Kumara Dissanayake near the entry point of the Southern Expressway in Mattala. They reportedly recorded a video of their actions and shared it on social media. In response to the incident, the Officer-in-Charge (OIC) along with two other police officers who were present at the expressway interchange at that time have been quickly reassigned. The OIC is now at the Sri Lanka Police Headquarters, while the other two officers have been moved to the Kottawa and Kadawatha Police Stations. These changes were made because the officers did not act against the individuals who verbally abused the President in public and behaved inappropriately. The event took place on the 17th, when tensions rose after police stopped a private bus returning from a pilgrimage to Kataragama from entering the expressway due to missing seat belts. This led to a confrontation between the bus passengers and the police. During the altercation, the bus group allegedly shouted offensive comments directed at President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. The situation was recorded on a mobile phone and widely shared on social media.