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'Revolting' Facebook posts could stop Swale councillor Padmini Nissanga from running in election

By: Caitlin Webb, local democracy reporter

Published: 08:22, 05 April 2019

Updated: 08:28, 05 April 2019

A Ukip councillor could be struck off the ballot after posting 'revolting' comments on Facebook.

Cllr Padmini Nissanga (UKIP) from Swale Borough Council has been criticised for saying "traitors" should face the death penalty in Saudi Arabia for voting to remain in the European Union.

The UN spokesman, who says Kofi Annan was a dear friend, has defended the posts and called her views a sign of "patriotism".

Cllr Padmini Nissanga with Nigel Farage (8292264)

All 14 opposition councillors received screenshots of the posts in their pigeon holes.

Leader of the Labour group, Cllr Roger Truelove, shared the revelations at the full council meeting on Wednesday night (April 3).

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He said: "The stuff that's on here is absolutely revolting. It's appalling and repugnant.

"I have referred the Facebook posts to the monitoring officer at Swale Borough Council.

One of the posts from Cllr Padmini Nissanga (8292270)

"The council will look into it as a standards issue to see if those posts are fake or not."

Cllr Truelove is calling for the Ukip candidate for Sheppey East to be taken off the ballot paper if the posts are verified by council officers.

He said: "If this person is intending to stand, they really should not be allowed.

"We're all in favour of free speech, of course we are, but free speech has to have respect for people and standards of fairness."

Cllr Nissanga, who was originally from Sri Lanka, called former Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair a "mass murderer" who gave "3 million visas to foreigners" who are "living with blood money" on a Facebook post last August.

In more recent posts, she suggested remain voters should be hung or attacked by gangs with "huge machetes".

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Cllr Nissanga has defended her "outspoken" social media posts for being "patriotic" but not racist.

She told the Local Democracy Reporter Service: "This is a democracy and if people don't agree they don't vote for me.

"Sometimes I explain to people and they agree that I am right but some times they say I am wrong but that is a democracy.

"I'm very outspoken on Facebook but this is because I am very patriotic. I am not racist.

"I'm just trying to save the country I have called my home for the last 52 years."

One of the posts from Cllr Padmini Nissanga

Cllr Nissanga moved to London in the 1970s after her parents used their entire savings to pay for her tuition at university.

She added: "People who criticise what I put on Facebook don't know the meaning of patriotism, it's not racism.

"People tell me that I'm a traitor because I am a foreigner.

"Why can't we tell the truth? Tony Blair and people who voted to remain are traitors.

"There are four million people here in Britain and people are homeless."

Cllr Padmini Nissanga with Kofi Annan (8292268)

Padmini "mini" Nissanga, who is also a parish councillor in Warden, represents the International Buddhist Relief Organisation at the United Nations.

Cllr Nissanga admitted once the UK has left the EU she plans to leave politics.

She said: "I do a lot of charity work for the local church and for the community.

"I am a spokesperson for the UN and I was dear friends with Kofi Annan, I miss him a lot.

"When we leave the EU I will leave politics but I will carry on with my charity work.

"These last two years I have spent less time on my charity work because of politics and spending more and more time with people in the area."

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