A press conference was held at the JVP head office at Pelawatta yesterday (8th) to apprise the media and the general public regarding the lead news and feature maliciously published in \u2018Irida Divaina\u2019 to sling mud at the JVP and its leaders. The Leader of the JVP Comrade Anura Dissanayaka, the General Secretary Comrade Tilvin Silva, Information Secretary Comrade Vijitha Herath and the Member of the Political Bureau Comrade Lal Kantha participated.<\/p>\n
Comrade Anura Dissanayaka said, \u201cThis press conference was convened today to point out special point regarding the lead news and the feature published in \u2018Irida Divaina\u2019 today. The JVP informs the media institutions and the general public of this country that the news and feature are aimed at insulting and vituperating and are full of fabrications and slanders.
\nWe, in the past and at present continuously campaigned and are campaigning for media freedom and the rights of journalists. When media institutions were torched bombed and journalists were abducted and threatened we turned up for the defence and protection of journalists.
\nThe news and article published by \u2018Divaina\u2019 has been done without adhering to media ethics or following accepted media practices. The \u2018Divaina Irida\u2019 newspaper has become a rag sheet publishing garbage. We know this is not the common practice of the majority of journalists in \u2018Divaina\u2019. Behind this vicious act is a small group that acts according to the needs of the defeated Rajapaksa clique. Kumara Welgama\u2019s brother Nimal Welgama functions as the owner of \u2018Divaina\u2019 newspaper and he was the chairman of Telecom during Rajapaksa regime.
\nWe question in Parliament how much money has been given to Upali Newspapers through various advertisements and other propaganda matters of Sri Lanka Telecom. Also, Anura Solomon, the chief editor of \u2018Irida Divaina\u2019 was a consultant to former President Mahinda Rajapaksa. It is a common secret that these consultants had VIP privileges at airports, possession of vehicles, fuel, thumping salaries and power.
\nAlso, who is this Janitha Seneviratna who has published this news? He served in an institution connected to the Port from 09.08.2011 to 31.12.2014. During this period he has worked in various media institutions. Also, he has signed as if he had reported for duty at the Port every day. I say with responsibility that he signed for all days of the month on one day. However, after Rajapaksa regime was defeated he was sacked from service on 31st March, 2015 for failure to report for work. Also, Manoj Abeydheera, the deputy editor, has been accused of various financial irregularities while serving at Telecom. We challenge Anura Solomon, Janitha Seneviratna and Manoj Abeydheera to prove wrong what we have accused them of.
\nThe feature article states several allusions without mentioning a definite name. However, the reader could who is referred to. \u2018Irida Divainya\u2019 has become a mud factory of Rajapaksa clique. Readers buy a paper to know the truth and correct information. We believe the masses will take a decision regarding \u2018Divaina humbug\u2019 that publishes vituperations, abuse and blatant lies. The JVP took the initiative and acted in various manners to topple the previous regime. This is why Rajapaksa clique is enraged. The genuine journalists in \u2018Divaina\u2019 have been insulted by this sordid act of a few nitwits. Today, they have to carry out a struggle inside the establishment. It has become their responsibility now to correct their media practice and save the media institution.
\nThe JVP is not a political party that could be put down by mudslinging, vituperations and insults. The sordid act indicates the impotency of those who aim mud at us. We have taken measures to seek legal advice regarding this act. Also, we have a good understanding of the long delay such legal action takes. We have decided to go to the masses and ask them to take a decision regarding the offenders. We believe that masses will consider whether they have to buy these newspapers that come out with blatant lies and insult other.
\nThere is another thing that we have to tell these gentlemen. We have chosen this politics despite people were murdered in thousands by our enemies. We don\u2019t hesitate to sacrifice our lives on behalf of the principles we stand for. Hence, we tell Janith Seneviratna, Manoj Abeydheera, Anura Solomon clique that they have erred if they think vituperations, insults and blatant lies could stop our politics. We open this issue to the people now.\u201d
\nThe General Secretary Comrade Tilvin Silva speaking at the press conference said, \u201cWe know that there is an ethical barrier when publishing information regarding another media institution. However, we believe that journalists as well as media institutions have a responsibility of defeating vicious moves of publishing blatant lies with a malicious intent that would disparage journalists and media institutions. We appeal to you to fulfil this responsibility. \u2018Irida Divaina\u2019 has added to the country where the state is already rotten and purulent. Those who have targeted Comrade Anura Dissanayaka have written what existed in their minds. We, with responsibility, say there is nothing truthful in the led news published in \u2018Irida Divaina\u2019. We can only say it is regrettable.
\nWe know that the bloke who hangs on to Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa and has become a heap of garbage is behind the whole process. Also, there is another group that has lost all luxuries they enjoyed during Mahinda Rajapaksa regime is also behind the move. The rage they have displayed is not against Comrade Anura Dissanayaka only but a rage that exists against the task the JVP is carrying out in the politics in this country.
\nAll media personnel know that our Comrade Anura Dissanayaka was the person the masses accepted as the real leader of the opposition. As such, the JVP fulfilled a great task in defeating Rajapaksa clique with the leadership of Comrade Anura Dissanayaka. These individuals who are behind publishing the blatant lies are carrying out moves to fulfil their rage.
\nThis is not an isolated incident. The JVP considers it as a part of a conspiracy against it. There are several needs behind this move. They attempt to pacify the agony of the defeat of Rajapaksa clique and the pain of those who lost all their privileges and perks and fulfil the need of those who are against the struggle the JVP is carrying out against government\u2019s non-action of investigating and punishing fraudsters and the corrupt and the need to prevent masses who are frustrated with the moves of the present administration from rallying with the JVP. We would like to emphasize that the existing corrupt politics would be totally wiped out from this land and Rajapaksa clique would never be allowed to come to power in this country. JVP Leaders cannot be made to bow down by slinging mud at them or by vituperations and insults. All members of the JVP would be made aware of this issue. We would fulfil the responsibility of exposing and defeating the aims of the vicious gang and its schemes and traitorous acts against the people by rallying the people around the party.
\nWe emphasize to member s of our party, sympathizers, supporters, progressive groups and all those supporters all around the world not to be deceived by the blatant lies these rag-sheets publish. The untruth in the lead news of this rag-sheet would never come true.\u201d
\nThe Member of the Political Bureau Comrade Lal Kantha addressing the press conference said, \u201cEveryone knows politics in Sri Lanka has been thrown to a garbage pit. Media personnel too have a responsibility of carrying out a struggle to salvage the country from this garbage pit. Certain media institutions too have jumped to the garbage pit. During the past certain media institutions and media personnel have published blatant lies regarding comrades Anura Dissanayaka, Tilvin Silva, Vijitha Herath and me. It was said that Lal Kantha was acting against Anura Dissanayaka. Certain others said Lal Kantha would join the UNP. These media institutions never corrected their lies. Similarly, various kinds of news were published regarding Comrade Anura Dissanayaka. It was said that CID was manipulated by Comrade Anura. It was said that Comrade Anura has a room at Temple Trees. None of this news is true. These blatant lies are published as we, of the JVP with the leadership of Comrade Anura, did everything to topple Mahinda Rajapaksa regime. Also, they know that it was Comrade Anura Dissanayaka who obstructed their move to get the post of the Leader of the Opposition. Mahinda Rajapaksa had a dream of becoming the Prime Minister. That dream could not be fulfilled. Now Comrade Anura and our party have shouldered the task of the opposition. This is why a barrage is continued against Comrade Anura and the party. Our member s as well as our sympathizers ask us why we do not respond to these lies. Hence, we decided to come out with the truth regarding this issue. Mahinda Rajapaksa has taken all those we have sacked from the party to his gangdom and have started sling mud at us. There was a time when \u2018Divaina\u2019 newspaper fulfilled a very important task when it was under able and respected editors. The state it has fallen to today is very regrettable. We ask the masses to totally reject this newspaper.\u201d
\nThe Information Secretary Comrade Vijitha Herath said, \u201cThe corrupt Rajapaksa clique attempted to come back to power by rousing communalism. When this attempt failed they have started sling mud. \u2018Divaina\u2019 newspaper has jumped to the garbage pit on the request of Rajapaksa clique. They have chosen to sling mud and insult others on behalf of Rajapaksa clique. We emphasize to the masses that they could get correct information from the large number of media that is available. All those attempts made to breakdown the trust people have in the JVP have been unsuccessful. With the publishing of this untruth we have been able to be more active, united and organizational. The people will give the correct answer to the so-called journalists who have pawned their media ethics for a few privileges. The articles written without mentioning a name would be thrown to the garbage pit together with the so-called journalists who wrote them. They can never prove what they have written. We challenge them to prove the information we have given with names and other details wrong. These rubbish vituperations cannot harm the trust people have in the leadership of the JVP. We would rally with the masses and definitely defeat this untruth.\u201d
\nResponding to questions posed by journalists Comrade Vijitha Herath said, \u201cA supporter of Wimal Weerawansa had attempted to give the bogus news to \u2018Lankadeepa\u2019. It is clear that a big attempt had been taken to get the lie published. We are thankful to the editor who directs his media with responsibility for rejecting to publish the lie.
\nAll attempts made by Rajapaksa clique to come back to power have been unsuccessful. They incited small groups of people to dash coconuts. This attempt of spreading superstition in the country too has failed. Various attempts were made to abolish FCID. However, investigations regarding frauds, corruption carried out by fraudsters and the corrupt are being investigated. Also, a process to take legal action against perpetrators is being carried out. We saw how the corrupt behaved in Parliament to talk about Mahinda Rajapaksa\u2019s security. The dialogue carried out before the May Day whether it was Kirulapane or Galle ended by the evening on the 1st. The people are highly pleased about the manner the JVP held its May Day. We are rallying new forces to give new victories to the masses without allowing Rajapaksas to grab power again. We would never cast away our main objectives and political moves to run behind these vituperations, slanders and insults. The chief thief who creates these insults and slanders doesn\u2019t know that the JVP cannot be moved even by an inch by such foolish moved despite he was with us for some time. They are so bankrupt to understand that.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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