[2] He was the President of the Ceylon Petroleum Common Workers' Union until he was sent on compulsory retirement in March 2023 by Minister of Power and Energy Kanchana Wijesekera and the CPC management on the claim that he and a group of trade unionists were obstructing distribution services.

[6] Newswire reported that the official website for the Sri Lankan Parliament had removed the "Dr." title from Ranwala's profile, raising further questions about the authenticity of his claimed doctorate.

[8] The controversy drew attention from several opposition parties, who have called for greater transparency regarding the academic and honorary titles claimed by elected officials.

The main opposition party Samagi Jana Balawegaya initiated a motion of no confidence against Ranwala on the basis that he misled the public and the government by falsely claiming to possess a doctorate.

[9] Amidst the controversy surrounding his educational qualifications, Ranwala tendered his resignation as the speaker of the Parliament on 13 December 2024, only 22 days into his term.