(UTV|COLOMBO) – Non-Cabinet Minister of Mass Media Ruwan Wijewardene yesterday (11) denied claims on social media that he was planning to forcibly take over the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation (SLRC), the State-owned National Television Network that was recently transferred out of his Ministry and put under the purview of the Ministry of Defence.
Wijewardene stated that he had never engaged in thug-politics and therefore, that information was totally baseless.
He stressed that he had no quarrel with President Maithripala Sirisena for taking over the National Television, which had been under the Media Minister’s purview but, the issue was about a Media Institution being gazetted under the Defence Ministry.
“This move is an attack against democracy and also the country’s media freedom,” the Minister pointed out.
Wijewardene also pointed out that the SLRC has been incurring losses in hundreds of millions since 2014. Mismanagement, as well as fraud and corruption, had resulted in this situation, he claimed. However, 4 attempts by him to make changes to the SLRC’s management have been averted by the President, he said.
“This is the first time in the country’s history that a television network was gazette under the Defence Ministry. Such things did not happen even during the war. Therefore, I am totally against his move,” Wijewardene added.
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