The Government has accused the former regime of then President Gotabaya Rajapaksa (GR) of acting in a manner similar to that of German dictator Adolf Hitler by enforcing forced cremations of Muslims during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Leader of the House Bimal Rathnayake told Parliament last Tuesday (17) that while the forced cremations were not 100% equal to the brutal actions of Hitler, they were almost similar. He also recalled that Hitler had used false data to justify the killing of Jews in a manner similar to the GR regime using false data to justify forced cremations during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya noted that actions taken at the time were unacceptable and that the incumbent Government would ensure no community was targeted in any way.

Rathnayake and Dr. Amarasuriya made these remarks in response to a question raised over the forced cremation of Muslims during the Covid-19 pandemic.

GR, since his tenure as the Secretary of Defence under the Mahinda Rajapaksa regime and later under his (GR’s) own regime, had been likened to Hitler on many occasions by members of the Opposition.