Opposition MPs drive tractors, tuktuks protesting fuel price hike
COLOMBO – Sri Lanka’s main opposition the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) took to the road on tractors, motorcycles, and three-wheel trishaws, in a protest campaign against the steep and controversial fuel price hike.
The protest followed a no-confidence motion submitted against Energy Minister Udaya Gammanpila, in Parliament earlier in the day.
SJB Members of Parliament, who began the protest near the Parliament premises, were seen driving or being chauffeured in tractors, trucks, motorcycles, and three-wheelers – a far cry from their regular luxury SUVs and exorbitantly priced sedans.
Opposition and SJB leader Sajith Premadasa told reporters, the party was protesting the fuel price hike and demanding concessions for an increasingly burdened and fatigued public.
“We know people are under tremendous strain because of the fuel price increase. On top of that, there is also the fertilizer issue. Children are not getting a decent education,” he said.
-economynext.com