President pays last respects to former Minister Rajakaruna

President Mahinda Rajapaksa paid his last respects to late Minister Sarathchandra Rajakaruna in the Millatha Nivasa at Kirindiwela today.


Prime Minister D. M. Jayarathne, Disaster Management Minister Mahinda Amaraweera, and Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga were also present.


Rajakaruna, a former Gampaha district parliamentarian and a minister of the opposition United National Party (UNP) passed away on Monday at his residence in Millatha.
He entered politics from the UNP at the 1977 election contesting for the Dompe seat, a stronghold of the Sri Lanka Freedom party and defeated a SLFP stalwart Felix R. Dias Bandaranaike, the MP for Dompe for 37 years and deputy Prime Minister of Sirimavo Bandaranaike government.
Rajakaruna was appointed as the UNP Leader for the Gampaha District in 2007. He contested the April 2010 elections but failed to secure a seat.
Rajakaruna's cremation takes place today at Kirindiwela.
(Photos by Sudath Silva)