Deputy Minister Chathuranga Abeysinghe has accused former Minister Wimal Weerawansa of being misled by an AI edited photograph showing him posing with a man wearing a Buddhist robe during Sri Lanka’s Aragalaya protest movement.
Speaking on a political programme broadcast by a private television channel, Weerawansa criticised Abeysinghe over the photograph, claiming that the man in the image was a layperson rather than a Buddhist monk.
Weerawansa questioned why Abeysinghe would take a selfie with a bearded layperson wearing a Buddhist robe. When asked during the programme whether it had been confirmed that the individual was a layperson, he said that this had been established.
However, in a post on his Facebook page, Abeysinghe claimed that Weerawansa, despite his extensive political experience, had fallen for an image edited using artificial intelligence (AI).
Abeysinghe identified the man in the original photograph as Amal Salinda, who he said had struggled against individuals who arrived to attack the Aragalaya protest site during an incident involving supporters of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP).
According to Abeysinghe, the original photograph had been digitally altered using AI to make it appear as though Salinda was wearing a Buddhist robe. He also shared both the original and edited versions of the photograph on his Facebook page.
Abeysinghe further accused Weerawansa of engaging in politics based on ethnic and religious divisions, arguing that such tactics were being used to regain political power.
Meanwhile, Amal Salinda also responded to Weerawansa’s remarks in a Facebook post, accusing the former minister of making misleading claims about the photograph.
Salinda stated that he possessed both the original photograph and the AI-edited version and was prepared to present them if necessary for legal proceedings or other purposes.
He also criticised Weerawansa for allegedly using Sinhala Buddhist nationalism to stir ethnic and religious tensions for political gain, adding that such efforts would not help the former minister regain power.
