Asian Mirror learns that the guest at the ITN ‘Sathyagaraya’ program which was to be telecasted at 10.00pm Thursday (2) was none other than Front Line Socialist Party Central Committee Member Kumar Gunaratnam.

ITN had carried out a publicity campaign stating that ‘a person living in hiding’ was to be the guest at the program on April 2. ITN also said that the identity of this person could not be revealed beforehand.

However, at 10.00pm in the evening, ITN announced that the program will not be televised due to legal reasons. ITN did not specifically state what these reasons are.

An hour before the program was to be telecasted FLSP Propaganda Secretary Pubudu Jayagoda told Asian Mirror that Gunaratnam will be the guest at the ‘Sathyagaraya.’ At that time, FLSP was unaware of any move to cancel the program.

Speaking to Asian Mirror afterwards, FLSP Politburo Member Duminda Nagamuwa said that the program was recorded several days earlier. He added that the program must have been cancelled due to political reasons.

Although the Immigration and Emigration authorities sent him a letter asking him to leave the country, no judicial order to deport Gunaratnam has been obtained, Nagamuwa explained. Therefore, there cannot be a legal reason, he added.

Gunaratnam, now an Australian citizen, arrived in Sri Lanka on January 1 this year on a tourist visa. He was later questioned by Immigration authorities over taking part in politics in the country while on a tourist visa. Gunaratnam argues that he is a citizen of Sri Lanka. He has remained in the island despite the fact that his visa expired at the end of January.