Holger Seubert, the German Ambassador to Colombo, warned Sri Lankans against fantasizing about Adolf Hilter after a minister and an influential Buddhist made controversial remarks asking Sri Lankan leadership to become more like Hitler. 

Responding to it, the German envoy took to Twitter and wrote, “I‘m hearing claims that “a Hitler” could be beneficial to Sri Lanka today. Let me remind those voices that Adolf Hitler was responsible for human suffering and despair beyond imagination, with millions of deaths. Definitely no role model for any politician!” 

Sri Lankan State Minister Dilum Amunugama earlier had claimed that people expected Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapksa to run a dictatorship to some extent, according to a report in the Economynext. 

Referring to calls by some Buddhist clergy in the island nation, he said even they approve of being Hitler. “Now the criticism of the government is due to not being a Hitler,” he was quoted as saying by Economynext. 

“I do not think the President has a liking to become a Hitler immediately,” he said. “If he is pushed towards that, he will become a Hitler and the people will stop blaming him. Things will then happen well” he added. 

At a time when Sri Lanka is being accused of mistreating its own minorities and of militarization of civic roles in the country, such calls would surely complicate its image.