Presidential Secretariat Publishes 'Horrid Advertisement' On Campaign Against Drugs: Daily Mirror Newspaper Distances Itself From Advertisement

The Presidential Secretariat today published a "horrid advertisement" in Sri Lankan newspapers to promote President Maithripala Sirisena's campaign against drugs. 

The advertisement which resembled the front page of a local newspaper was full of spelling and grammatical errors. 

Almost every 'headline' featured in the advertisement was written in a seemingly nonsensical language without any cohesive meaning. 

The advertisement also referred to the Police Narcotics Bureau — the police unit conducting raids on criminal networks involved in drug trafficking — as the "Police Narcotic Beauro". 

Daily Mirror, the publisher of the said advertisement, also distanced itself from the content of the advertisement saying it had been "directly placed by the Presidential Secretariat."

"The Daily Mirror editorial has not been involved in creating its content or its placement," the newspaper said, in a statement.