Thiniyawala Thero, who called the prevention of Gota from leaving the country 'despicable', reversed his statement fearing he might fall ill.

Venerable Thiniyawala Palitha Thero has stated that he completely withdraws the controversial statement he made criticizing the travel ban imposed on former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and others in connection with the investigations related to the Easter Sunday attacks, and that he apologizes to the court for it. He revealed this while addressing a special press conference held regarding the incident.

Criticizing the court order recently issued by Fort Magistrate Mr. Pasan Amarasena, the Thero had previously stated at a press conference that it was an inhumane and despicable act. He also mentioned that he endorsed the views of Venerable Galagodaatte Gnanasara Thero, who stated that Mr. Gotabaya Rajapaksa is a good human being and that this could be political revenge.

However, in a context where criticizing a lawful court decision raises a serious legal issue of contempt of court, Venerable Thiniyawala Palitha Thero clarified at his new press conference that he was unaware at the time of making the statement that the ban was imposed based on a court order. He further emphasized that he did not intend to challenge any judge or court decision through his statement, and that he is a monk who always respects the judiciary.

However, critics point out that it is practically unbelievable that a monk who is constantly engaged in political activities and has previously filed petitions in court on numerous occasions was unaware that the relevant ban was a court order. It is often a common tactic for such political activists to use ignorance as a shield, based on legal advice, to escape when there is a risk of being caught by the law and to protect their image.

This incident has sparked a serious discussion about the irresponsible comments made by some monks today regarding social issues. Their actions of misleading the public by disseminating baseless opinions on subjects not directly relevant to them, such as politics, gender, sexuality, and education, have been criticized. Even if they apologize later, these parties do not take any responsibility for the crises created in society through such irresponsible statements.

This is not the first time Venerable Thiniyawala Palitha Thero has been involved in controversy regarding political and social matters. In 2015, during the Good Governance government, he was appointed to the Board of Directors of Lanka Hospitals, a listed company, due to his close association with the then Minister of Finance, Ravi Karunanayake. He became the first monk in the country's history to be appointed to the board of a listed company. Later, Mr. Mangala Samaraweera, who became the Minister of Finance, removed him from the position based on a policy decision. In response, Palitha Thero severely criticized Mr. Samaraweera, who at the time emphasized that he considered the appointment of clergy to the boards of any state institution to be a policy error.