• But notes need for Spkr. to remain neutral 

The main Opposition, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya’s Parliamentarian, Rohini Kumari Wijerathna Kaviratne yesterday (24) said that while she would withdraw her statement targeting the Speaker of the Parliament, Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne, made on Wednesday (23) – where she told the latter to “shut up and listen” – she was compelled to make such a remark as the Speaker, who should remain neutral, was acting in an extreme manner.

Making a statement in the Parliament yesterday, she said: “If there was any insult to the office of the Speaker and that role in my statement on Wednesday, saying ‘shut up and listen’, I withdraw it. The reason I said such a thing was because when a role that should be moderate acts in an extreme manner, such statements naturally occur. However, I withdraw it at this time.”

Her comment sparked a heated exchange in the Parliament on Wednesday, during a supplementary question she raised from the Minister of Public Security, Ananda Wijepala, about the closure of a road in front of the Temple of the Tooth Relic in Kandy and the resulting environmental and traffic issues. When she was explaining the background to her question, the Speaker interrupted her, saying that she had already taken several minutes to raise a supplementary question that did not align with her main question. In response, she continued speaking and eventually said, “Please shut up and listen”, which led to angry reactions from Government MPs and a tense back-and-forth across the Chamber. The Speaker was seen reminding her that she should raise the question without making lengthy explanations, and the exchanges grew tense as Kaviratne directly made the said remark. The Speaker responded: “Who are you talking to?” and repeated, “Who are you talking to?” Then, he told her, “You are taking four minutes to ask a supplementary question. Speak with some discipline.”