President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said that legal action will be taken only against those who mislead the public or try to create conflictual confusion in a way that hinders the smooth management of the disaster situation.
In a recent speech to police officers, Deputy Minister Sunil Watagala had instructed police officers to use emergency law provisions against those who spread false or hateful content on social media and those who insult the President and ministers. The incident has drawn severe criticism. The President made this statement in Parliament yesterday (05) while commenting on the controversy that had arisen in this regard.
The President emphasized that public opinion would not be restricted under the Emergency Regulations and that personal criticism or slander directed at him or his ministers would not be taken into account.