SJB and Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa yesterday (4) said in Parliament that the Government should apologise to the public over President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s recent reference to Sri Lanka as a hunduwa, a term traditionally used to describe a small scoop used to measure grain.

Raising the matter during the sitting yesterday, Premadasa said that it is inappropriate to describe the country in that manner and called on the Government to offer an apology to the people. “The Prime Minister is also here. It is very important to apologise to the people for calling Sri Lanka a hunduwa. It is not appropriate to insult our country in that manner. The Government should apologise to the public,” he said.

The President’s remarks had been made in the context of explaining the country’s limited gas storage capacity and the logistical constraints faced in maintaining supplies.