Villagers Drives Away Protesters with Cow Dung Outside Treasury Secretary’s Residence
A group led by Sugishwara Bandara—who previously served as a private secretary to former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa—was chased away by residents after being pelted with filth while attempting to stage a protest outside the residence of Treasury Secretary Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma.
Bandara, now associated with the New People’s Front, had reportedly arrived in the neighbourhood with several supporters intending to hold a demonstration in front of the senior finance official’s home. However, the attempt was met with fierce resistance from local residents, who reacted angrily and launched what witnesses described as a “filth attack,” forcing the group to disperse in disarray.
Eyewitnesses stated that tensions escalated rapidly as residents objected to the protest being brought into a residential area, ultimately resulting in the group being driven out. No serious injuries were reported, but the incident underscores rising public hostility toward politically affiliated demonstrations in private neighbourhoods.