A fundamental rights petition filed by Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, while she was serving as a Member of Parliament representing the NPP, challenging the police attack on a peaceful protest at the Polduwa junction last year will be taken up for hearing by the Supreme Court on January 30.
The petition, filed by five petitioners including Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya and Parliamentarian Nilanthi Kottahachchi, seeks a declaration that the respondents, including the then Acting IGP Deshabandu Thennakoon, violated their fundamental rights.
President’s Counsel Saliya Pieris, appearing for the petitioners told the three-Judge-Bench of the Supreme Court comprising Justices Yasantha Kodagoda, Achala Wengappuli and Priyantha Fernando that the police had initiated criminal proceedings against the petitioners in the Magistrate’s Court on the incident.
He said that the petitioners would consider withdrawing this application if the police dropped criminal proceedings against them in the Magistrate’s Court.
The petitioners stated that Parliament was to debate the Budget pertaining to the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs on December 4, 2023.
They stated that as per the Appropriation Bill for 2024, the allocations for the affairs of women and children had been reduced by 51 percent. The petitioners state that in the circumstances, the petitioners and the other members of the Women’s Wing of the Jathika Jana Balawegaya organised a protest at the Polduwa junction, to bring to the attention of the public and the Government that the Government is not adequately addressing the issues pertaining to women and children.
The petitioners stated that about 150 to 200 members of the Women’s Wing of the Jathika Jana Balawegaya along with the petitioners attended the protest.
The petitioners stated that Dr. Harini Amarasuriya could make her speech only for about two minutes and thereafter the police fired water cannons directly at Dr. Harini Amarasuriya and then targeted all the protestors.
They stated that the police fired water cannons at women protestors who engaged in a peaceful protest, and it amounts to cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment.
They are seeking a declaration that the respondents had infringed the petitioners’ fundamental rights guaranteed under Article 11, Article 12(1), Article 14(1)(a) and Article 14(1)(b) of the Constitution.
