By Ceylon Signal 
The government should immediately withdraw the 22nd Constitutional Amendment Bill presented to Parliament, and failure to do so could create a serious crisis in the future, according to the position of the Indian central government, our defence‑intelligence correspondent has revealed.
Taking into account the reports submitted to the Indian government by the Indian High Commissioner in Colombo regarding the proposed constitutional amendment, India’s central political apparatus has indicated that this amendment poses a significant threat to the functioning of Sri Lanka’s democratic system, and that it carries the risk of creating a single‑party autocracy, our defence‑intelligence correspondent stated.
September 2–3 Visit
Accordingly, Rajnath Singh, Minister of Defence of India, who is scheduled to visit Sri Lanka from September 2 to September 3, is expected to convey India’s official position regarding the 22nd Amendment, Indian internal intelligence sources have told our defence‑intelligence correspondent.
Rajnath Singh was initially scheduled to visit Sri Lanka in September 2023, but the visit was later cancelled. However, according to Indian central government sources, the visit is now expected to take place during the first week of September. The primary purpose of the visit is said to be discussions on joint operations, training programmes, regional security issues, and the new US defence agreements, according to these reports.
In addition, the Defence Minister is also scheduled to visit Trincomalee, where he is expected to sign an agreement for India’s joint investment in the integrated development of the oil tank farm.
This two‑day visit comes at a time when Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs is considering a new request from China seeking permission for a research vessel to visit Sri Lanka—an issue that has drawn the attention of regional intelligence services monitoring security concerns.
Meanwhile, the Indian central government, outlining its firm stance on Rajnath Singh’s visit, has stated:
“The entire spectrum of India’s defence relationship with Sri Lanka will be reviewed during the meetings.”
Ranil–Doval Meeting
Information has also emerged regarding a secret meeting held on July 1 in New Delhi between former President Ranil Wickremesinghe and India’s National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. Our defence‑intelligence correspondent reports that the two held high‑level discussions on the current political crisis, economic reforms, and regional security concerns affecting India.
Ajit Doval is a key figure in the Indian central government responsible for major decisions on national security and regional geopolitics.
Supreme Court Challenges
Meanwhile, nine petitions have been filed before the Supreme Court by the Bar Association of Sri Lanka and others, arguing that the 22nd Constitutional Amendment Bill undermines judicial independence and the rule of law, violates the Constitution, and should be subjected to a referendum before being passed.
According to Supreme Court sources, this is the highest number of petitions ever filed against a single Bill.