Sinhala opposition to the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement between India and Sri Lanka is mounting as Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe is preparing to travel to New Delhi on Monday.
The National Freedom Front's Wimal Weerawansa announced a protest against CEPA, to be held on Monday in Colombo, under the name 'CEPA: An Indian death trap'.
Meanwhile the JVP also warned against the agreement, saying that that the local industrial sector would be adversely affected by granting more access to Indians.
JVP Propaganda Secretary Vijitha Hearth said the party had information that the CEPA would be the main focus during talks between Mr Wickremesinghe and Prime Minster Narendra Modi, contrary to a statement by a minister on Sunday, who stressed CEPA would not be discussed during the visit.
“The CEPA is extremely favourable to Indians and impact negatively on the local business sector. Sri Lanka's exports to India have been estimated at US$580 million while Indian imports to Sri Lanka had increased from US$600 million to US$3,730 million and such a situation is not good for our economy,” he said.
Mr. Herath further said that if the CEPA was implemented, an increasing number of Indian professionals such as doctors, engineers and labourers would come over to Sri Lanka, the Daily Mirror reported.
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