Opposition party member injured in police crackdown dies during protest march in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka: An opposition MP who was to contest the upcoming local body elections succumbed to injuries sustained by police during a protest march. Sri Lankan police fired tear gas and used water cannons to disperse protesters organized by the NPP (National People’s Party) here on Sunday against the delay in holding local body elections. The Election Commission on Friday formally announced that the local body elections will not be held as planned on March 9 and a new date for the elections will be notified on March 3.

Nimal Amarasiri (61) was to contest from Nivithigala Pradeshiya Sabha (South West region in Sri Lanka), according to NPP general secretary Tilawin Silva. “He was one of two people seriously injured in the police attack on peaceful protesters,” Silva told reporters. “President Ranil Wickremesinghe and his government certainly bear full responsibility for his death,” he said. Silva said another 28 NPP MPs who took part in the protest were hospitalized after the police attack.

On Sunday, NPP MPs demonstrated with banners that read, “Defeat the government’s cowardly attempt to destroy democracy by not holding elections”. The police had received an order from the Colombo Fort Magistrate Court barring 26 people, including NPP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayaka, from entering the President’s Office and areas around Rashtrapati Bhavan till 8 pm on Sunday.

Disclaimer:IndiaTheNews has not edited this news. This news has been published from PTI-language feed.