Opposition lawmakers today (9) questioned the Government’s decision to bar the media from covering police hauls of swords and knives in search operations carried out in the wake of the Easter bombings.
Director General of the Government Information Department Nalaka Kaluwewa had earlier instructed heads of media organisations to refrain from airing footage of such weapons.
United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) MP Wimal Weerawansa speaking Parliament today questioned the wisdom of this move.
“They’re trying to keep the media in the dark. This didn’t happen even at the height of the war. The only thing the media was requested to do was to verify their stories with the Media Centre for National Security. This Government has taken it to a whole new level and is trying to prevent the media from publishing information the public has a right to know,” he said.
Weerawansa warned that the public would have no choice but to believe questionable news stories shared on social media, if the mainstream media is shut out this way.
UPFA MP Shehan Semasinghe said the Government was resorting to such tactics to hide its inability to handle the prevailing situation.
(Republic Next)