“MR must rule for 300 years to send Muslims on Haj pilgrimage” - Gamini Viyangoda

 Saturday, 01 November 2014 

President Mahinda Rajapaksa will have to rule the country for the next 300 years to fulfill the promises made by him to the people, veteran translator Gamini Viyangoda said.

Addressing a rally in Nugegoda against a third term as Executive President for Mahinda Rajapaksa, Viyangoda pointed out that some of the promises made by the President to the people in fact was demeaning to the intelligence of the general public.

Citing an example, he said the President has pledged to send on Haj all Muslims in the country who cannot afford to go on the pilgrimage.

Viyangaoda explained that there a approximately 2 million Muslims in the country out of which about 500,000 would have gone the Haj pilgrimage.

He noted that it costs around Rs. 500,000 for each person to make the Haj pilgrimage. The entire cost to send 1.5 Muslims on Haj would cost a whopping Rs. 175,000 million to the government.

“There is also a quota for the Haj pilgrimage. Sri Lanka last year received a quota of 3,800 visas for Muslims to go on Haj. Even if the quota is increased to 5,000 visas, President Mahinda Rajapaksa will have to be the President for the next 300 years to send the Muslims in the country on pilgrimage to the Middle East,” Viyangoda said.