News item that Sajith went to government over Rupavahini!

News item that Sajith went to government ... over Rupavahini!

Bana sermon holding betel leaf ... over Swarnavahini!

It is on April 1st that strange stories are woven and broadcast through the media. But today, January 8th such items came into focus once again surprisingly.

What came upon National Rupavahini this morning as the first
such item as Breaking News was that Sajith Premadasa, a stalwart of UNP was to join the government Party.

This act of spreading a false news item on behalf of the elections and the attempt to lead the public astray for political gain reached the ears of the Election Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya and he immediately went into action by subjecting it to serious concern and had sounded an alarm signal to the Rupavahini by going there and said that releasing election results could be withdrawn because of such acts, it is reported. Subsequently he had requested Rupavahini officials to rectify that news item and even went as far as making the announcer read out a communication sent by Sajith over the news bulletin broadcast at 12.24 p.m. over Rupavahini after which the said channel apologised and expressed their regret if any harm was done over the said news item which said that Sajith had crossed over to the government.

However, nothing was mentioned in this circumstance that the news item was incorrect or had requested for a pardon.

In the meantime, before election activities started, a bana programme that went over the air, broadcast by Swarnavahini showed a certain monk by the name of Walpola Gothami who in addition to the vatapatha (fan), had been holding a betel leaf which in fact was candidate Mahinda Rajapaksha's symbol and had come over to preach the dhamma. The monk had said that it was a bana which explained about signals and then displayed the betel leaf right throughout the sermon turning the leaf and twisting it, making holes in it, thus making an effort to give it publicity.

In one instance the monk said, "when I say a betel leaf ... you get various signals. Think about that. When I fold or bend this ... some will think whether this is a swan that is being bent around .... no, it's not so. When a betel leaf is seen ... some imagine or remember of having a luxurious life".

The Election Commissioner who expressed his views on this too had blamed Swarnavahini Channel that if such programmes are broadcast over this channel ... he would not grant permission to relay further election results.

A part of the bana preaching programme broadcast over Swarnavahini, from BELOW