The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP)‘s Bimal Rathnayake and anchor of Sirasa television’s ‘Satana’ television programme Roshan Watawala went head to head during the programme last week, when the JVP raised the issue of media entities promoting their own work.

While praising the media for engaging in relief work by collecting dry rations and other relief items for the affected, the JVP MP also alleged that many of the media organisations in Sri Lanka were engaged in self promotion on their channels rather than giving a 360 degree view of the issue.

Responding to JVP MP Bimal Rathnayake, Sirasa host Roshan Watawala asked, “Are you saying you are dissatisfied with the work we did? Are you saying the six hour long live programmed we carried out on two days amounts to nothing?”

A heated argument ensued during which the Sirasa host accused the JVP of asking for Sirasa for media publicity, to which the JVP MP responded that asking a media organization for coverage during a large public event does not disqualify him from finding fault with the media, if such faults exist.

The Sirasa ‘Satana’ host went on to accuse the JVP MP of being a ‘hypocrite’ to which the JVP MP responded strongly, giving examples of his exemplary, socialist behavior and ideals. The Sirasa news organization later apologized to the JVP MP for calling him names during the live television show.