‘Unlike you boys, I’ve to run two families’

Nov 23, 2016

A big haho occurred in parliament on the 21st, when Vavudeva Nanayakkara was addressing the House. Losing his temper, he once told a ruling member, “You sit down, without having an earful from me.” But, ruling members like Nalin Bandara and Ranjana Ramanayake cannot be silenced by such threats. They continued to ask the same question from him.

“For 10 years, your wife has earned a salary without doing any work? Not only you, but your wife too, was an advisor to Mahinda? For the all 10 years, no advice was given, but together with the vehicle, entertainment and mobile allowances, didn’t you get around Rs. 100,000 a month? You talk like Fidel Castro, but act like Gaddafi.”

That left Vasu perplexed, his answer was, “Yes, I received a salary as an adviser for Mahinda Rajapaksa. But, it is uncultured for you to ask about my wife. She is not relevant here. She is a well qualified woman. Those who appointed her should know how to obtain advice from her. Therefore, it is not relevant to me.” He dodged the question thus. But, a JVP MP who witnessed the incident said a good story at the parliament canteen.

The JVP MP in question went to Vietnam with Vasu for a conference. After the conference, they went shopping together too. Vasu kept saying, “Give me two from these gowns. Give me two from these towels. Give me two from these creams.” The red party MP asked him, “Comrade Vasu, why do you buy two from each of these?”

Vasu took a look around and replied, Unlike you boys, I have to run two families.”

The red party MP also said that Vasu used his salary as a presidential adviser to maintain that second family of his. That is why Vasu has told his challengers that they were asking uncultured questions. It is Vasu himself who had given an uncultured answer to their first question, as he had the second question haunting him. Vasu believes that it is uncultured to ask questions about uncultured conduct which is taking place openly. That is the political reality most in the joint opposition do not understand.