Cabinet Spokesperson Minister Nalinda Jayatissa today (3 January) condemned the Aruna national newspaper, owned by MP Dilith Jayaweera, for “misleading the public with malicious, well-planned, and manipulative news items.”

Addressing a media briefing at the Department of Government Information, Jayatissa presented several articles published by the newspaper, particularly a report on the Public Security Minister’s statement regarding Mahaver Naal in Jaffna.

Jayatissa’s remarks came in response to a news item in Aruna newspaper, which was headlined, ‘Jack cannot be sold on the street under Clean Sri Lanka; those who sold green porridge are also sued by Aturugiriya Police’.

“This newspaper’s registered address is right next to that of former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, and it is owned by Dilith Jayaweera. The public knows what they are doing; we don’t need to spell it out. It is clear that they are using the media for their own political agenda. As a government, which received more than a two-thirds mandate from the public in the election, we have a responsibility to protect the interests of the people. We will not allow this practice to continue, and we will take appropriate action as per the law,” he asserted.

Referring specifically to the news item published in today’s paper, Jayatissa said, “This is a complete lie. Cases cannot be filed under the Clean Sri Lanka initiative. This is a deliberate attempt to mislead the public about Clean Sri Lanka, which is the future of the country. It is not a political project; it is a people’s project, everyone’s project. So, trying to tarnish it and mislead the public is definitely a political move, especially when considering their history.”

Explaining the situation further, Jayatissa stated that the food stalls near a school in Athurugiriya had received numerous complaints from the public, particularly concerning the safety of children and the issue of mosquito breeding due to the vendors’ practices.

“The Police summoned the vendors and gave them advice. They agreed to comply. No one was arrested, and no case was filed,” he clarified.

“By publishing such malicious news items without following ethical conduct, these people are trying to create public panic about the Clean Sri Lanka project. This is a deliberate political effort to jeopardize the project,” he stressed.

Jayatissa also emphasized that the government will never allow the media to create disharmony between communities, spread racism, or mislead the public, under the guise of media freedom.

“We are committed to protecting media freedom and freedom of expression. However, if certain media outlets deliberately mislead the public for cheap political gains, we will not allow that to happen. We will not hesitate to take action within the existing laws to protect the public. We have a great responsibility towards the public to create a better country and a better future for everyone,” he concluded.