Prevention of Terrorism Act Will Remain Until New Law is Enacted: Minister Chandrasekaran

04-Oct-2025

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State Minister Ramalingam Chandrasekaran said the Terrorism Prevention Act will remain in force until a new law is enacted.

After an event in Jaffna — Sangankai, a journalist asked: “In September Minister Vijitha Kurat said the Terrorism Prevention Act would be repealed. But now October has started. What is your government’s position on repealing the Act?” In response to that question the minister made the following remarks.

He said that they had stated in their manifesto that the Terrorism Prevention Act should be repealed. It is a law that should be removed. That Act has severely harmed our party more than anyone else.

We have no differing view about amending or repealing that law. But the drug problem that is ravaging the country and the drug traffickers are well known to the people. Behind that drug trade there is another narcotics world, an underworld and hidden political elements. Laws are needed to suppress such politics. Therefore, until a new law is brought in, we will use the existing law. At the same time, we reiterate that we will not use the Terrorism Prevention Act against any innocent citizen.

This law will be used only against those who have plundered the nation’s wealth and not for anything else. Sumathirana once ran after Ranil, and they filed cases for him. But at that time no effort was made to repeal this law.

We have come and prepared plans to rebuild the country within a year. In that way, we will repeal the Terrorism Prevention Act, he said.