BBC Sinhala service has issued a vague and a qualified denial in the wake of reports that its Sinhala service journalist Azzam Ameen has been barred from attending press conferences and media interviews in Sri Lanka.

"BBC News Sinhala is committed to impartial and accurate journalism in Sri Lanka and we will continue to conduct robust interviews with politicians and other newsmakers, which is exactly what our audiences expect," the statement said. 

The statement, however, did not give any context or make any reference to the issue involving Ameen. 

Also, the statement is silent on covering press conferences in Sri Lanka. 

Asian Mirror earlier reported that BBC had prevented its journalist Azzam Ameen from attending press conferences and conducting interviews in Sri Lanka. 

Ameen, one of the most popular journalists in Sri Lanka, is known for asking 'tough questions' fearlessly from politicians during press conferences. 

He recently won an award as the most popular journalist on social media. The journalist has been working for BBC Sandeshaya, the Sinhala service of BBC, for several years.