The main Parliamentary Opposition Party, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), yesterday (19) expressed concerns about the Government considering national security and public security as two separate matters.

This was during a press briefing held yesterday in Colombo, where SJB National Organiser Tissa Attanayake expressed disapproval about certain Members of the Government labelling the ongoing crime wave as an issue of public security but not of national security. 

“Over 100 murders have been reported thus far this year (2025). This is a serious situation. If crimes occur in a country on a daily basis, the Government should be held responsible. The present Government cannot get away saying that crimes are taking place due to the faults of the previous Government. The present Government came to power with the promise that it will curb crimes and ensure the public's safety,” he said.

Moreover, during the press briefing, Attanayake opined that the authorities' failure to arrest Inspector General of Police Deshabandu Tennakoon shows a decline in the intelligence services. The latter surrendered to Court yesterday in connection with an arrest warrant issued over a case.

“Accordingly, it is apparent that there is a massive collapse in national security,” he added.