Minister Rauff Hakeem hit out at people who are spreading what he called false news about the Madawala Madeena Central College (National School), claiming that there was no "Jihad" movement active in the school and that there was immense respect for the Sinhalese teachers among the villagers.

Speaking at an event in Kandy District yesterday, Hakeem said that the news of a jihadi group had spread through the internet, based on a letter allegedly written by a husband of a teacher at the school.

However, it has only created distrust on the Muslim community and has damaged the relations between Sinhalese and Muslim communities, he said.

The people in Madawala have immense respect for the Sinhalese teachers in the school, he added.

A dispute occurred in the school on May 27 during a meeting, when a group protested against the principal of the school.

Meanwhile, a letter allegedly written by the school SDS surfaced on social media. The letter was addressed to the Assistant Education Director in Kandy and copied to the Prime Minister and the Education Minister. It called for removal of Sinhalese teachers and teachers coming to school from distant places.