The state run Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation deviated from good governance practices over the past few days when it sank to abysmal levels to attack the protest march organised by the Joint Opposition. 

The Rupavahini main news bulletin, on Friday and Saturday, did not give any fair coverage to the protest march, despite the government's repeated promises to create a state media culture where every political party gets fair coverage. 

However, a sizable proportion of its airtime was allocated to give negative publicity to the Joint Opposition's protest march. Although the Rupavahini news bulletin showed some footage of the march, it was positioned to embarrass the organisers and the participants of the event.

The SLRC also coined a term "retired President" to refer to former President Mahinda Rajapaksa in its news bulletin.

"It was appalling to see the Rupavahini main news bulletin on Friday and Saturday. We are no fans of the Rajapaksas and we firmly believe that all charges against them should be investigated. Unfortunately, the Rupavahini main news bulletin, on Friday and Saturday, resembled the conduct of the Rajapaksa regime. It is utterly disappointing that this happened under a government that came to power with the promise of ensuring good governance," a prominent member of the Purawesi Balaya organisation told Asian Mirror. 

The state run TV station sank to this abysmal level when two free media activists - namely Karunaratne Paranawithana and Ranga Kalansooriya - hold top positions in the Media Ministry. Paranawithana holds the position of the Deputy Media Minister while Kalansooriya functions as the Director General of Government Information. 

Click here to view the SLRC main news bulletin on Saturday