The Minister of Buddhist Affairs, Buddhist Cultural Affairs, and Cultural Affairs, Hiniduma Sunil Senavi, has categorically denied recent social media reports alleging that a close associate of his was involved in planting a fake mine at the Sinharaja entrance. The Minister dismissed the claims as completely false and confirmed that a formal complaint has been lodged with the Police Computer Investigation Division to take stringent legal action against those responsible for spreading the misinformation.
Addressing the matter further, Minister Senavi stated:
“I do not have any business associate involved in such an incident. The individual identified as Sunanda Deepal is someone I have only met once. If I have ever spoken to him, it was solely to seek clarification regarding the allegations after this news surfaced. He is neither a business partner nor a personal acquaintance of mine. Unfortunately, this false accusation has led to serious and damaging content being circulated on social media, causing personal harm to me and tarnishing the policies implemented by our government.”
The Minister emphasized that a formal complaint has been filed with the Police Computer Investigation Division’s Social Media Unit to ensure that legal measures are taken against those who propagated the false information.
“I have specifically requested that legal action be taken against individuals and entities who published these defamatory reports and used vulgar language in their coverage. I trust that a fair and thorough investigation will be conducted, ensuring that those responsible for this baseless and malicious accusation are held accountable under the law. It is deeply concerning that social media platforms in our country have, in some cases, turned into a court of public judgment.”
Minister Senavi also made a direct appeal to social media users and journalists, urging them to verify the authenticity of any information before publishing it.
“I call upon my dear friends in journalism and those active on social media—before disclosing information about a person or an institution, it is imperative to verify its accuracy. Even if a story appears credible at first glance, if it is motivated by malicious intent or sensationalism, it constitutes a serious ethical and legal violation. While I fully respect the freedom of information on social media, it is crucial to recognize that misinformation can cause irreversible damage to individuals and institutions alike.”
Concluding his statement, the Minister urged media professionals and social media users to uphold responsible journalism and refrain from engaging in sensationalist or defamatory reporting.
