Former President Ranil Wickremesinghe has stated that the President of the Anura Kumara Dissanayake should apologize to the plantation community for the JVP's past opposition to granting them citizenship.

Speaking at a public meeting in Kotagala, Nuwara Eliya, Wickremesinghe recalled that when the United National Party (UNP) led the initiative to provide citizenship to plantation workers, JVP leader Rohana Wijeweera opposed it.

Wickremesinghe emphasized that the UNP worked to improve the living conditions for the plantation community, granting citizenship under the Sirimavo-Sastri and Sirimavo-Indira accords in 1986 for those not recognized by India or Sri Lanka. He credited this progress to Minister Thondaman's efforts and the support of President J. Jayewardene.

Wickremesinghe pointed out that JVP leader Rohana Wijeweera was against granting these rights, asserting that President Anura Dissanayake should apologize for the JVP’s stance. He questioned the JVP's current request for votes from plantation voters, given their historical opposition to granting these communities the right to vote.