Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala has lodged a complaint with the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) regarding a news report published in a national Sinhala-language newspaper, distorting a statement he made recently in Anuradhapura about Mahaveer Naal commemorations in the North.

Speaking in Parliament today (4 December), Minister Wijepala said:
“A statement I made in Ehatuweva of Anuradhapura was deliberately misrepresented. The version published in the newspaper was completely fabricated. I have filed a complaint with the CID, and an investigation is now underway.”

The news report in question claimed that the Minister had stated Mahaveer Naal could be celebrated with LTTE symbols, flags, and images of LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran, causing public outrage since the LTTE is a proscribed organisation.

However, both the Minister and the Cabinet Spokesperson have refuted this claim. They clarified that displaying symbols of the banned organisation remains strictly prohibited. At the same time, the government recognises the right of individuals to commemorate their loved ones and family members, affirming this as a public right.

Speaking further, Wijepala said investigations have revealed that a political group is attempting to create ethnic unrest between the North and South.

“This group is actively uploading fake posts on social media. Some of the videos shared include footage from Mahaviru commemorations held overseas several years ago,” the Minister said. “In the North, there have been over 244 Mahaveer Naal, but only ten of these displayed LTTE flags or logos.”

The Minister emphasised the government’s position on such events: “Families have the right to hold ceremonies to commemorate their deceased relatives, but the display of LTTE flags or logos is prohibited as it is a banned organisation.”

He further noted that a few individuals have been arrested for sharing fake posts on social media, including a defeated candidate from the New Democratic Front.