There is no major difference between Anura and Hitler: Udaya Gammanpila

21-Sep-2025

.

There is little difference between Hitler, the ruthless dictator, and President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. 

To prevent the motherland from falling prey to fascism, the present opposition unity must be made permanent, with Ranil Wickremesinghe providing leadership, said Udaya Gammanpila, leader of the Pivithuru Hela Urumaya.

Speaking at the UNP’s 79th convention in Colombo on September 20, he continued:

This convention is held at a time when the motherland faces a grave authoritarian threat. The question now is whether Sri Lanka will remain a democracy or fall to fascism. When fascists try to seize power with weapons, we know how to resist. Our military has the right to defend against that.

But what we face now is new — fascists seizing power with people’s votes under the guise of patriotism. Hitler’s rise in Germany has many similarities with the JVP taking power now. What happened to Namal yesterday, what happened to Ranil recently, could happen to us tomorrow. If each of us stays quiet thinking the fascists are not targeting us yet, it will be disastrous.

There may have been past mistakes and policy changes. But to decide which path is best, democracy must first be preserved. Above all, the right to live must be protected.

When the President threatens trade unions, when party secretaries declare they will never hand back power, when mayors say they will sacrifice lives to hold on to power — Hitler comes to mind.

It is a fair question whether Anura Dissanayake is Hitler reborn. Earlier, opposition efforts to form an alliance before local elections failed. But Ranil Wickremesinghe’s detention revived that effort. Though we did not want Ranil arrested, the event created historic opportunities in the country.

The temporary unity that emerged must now be made permanent. It must last until fascism is defeated. Ranil Wickremesinghe must lead this effort. We believe only he can, he said.