A misleading social media post regarding a statement by the Opposition Leader, Sajith Premadasa.

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Mainstream media outlets also misleadingly report news. This often takes place due to the headlines used for the news articles, videos, and posts. This is a fact-check of a series of social media posts that have been shared misleadingly.

Social Media Posts :

A social media post was published stating a statement by the Opposition Leader, Sajith Premadasa, as, “The country is in a state of disaster. If you can’t do it, hand over the country to us.”

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Many other social media posts were published in this manner.

Some other social media posts were shared, expressing their disappointment towards the statement made by Sajith Premadasa.

We took steps to investigate whether the opposition leader had actually done so.

Fact Check :

The Budget Committee Stage debate on the expenditure head of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation convened in Parliament on 27th under the chairmanship of the speaker.

At the debate, the opposition leader, including Namal Rajapaksa, had expressed their views on the disaster situation in the country.

We investigated whether the opposition leader had made a statement at the Parliament calling for the country to be handed over if the situation could not be controlled due to disastrous weather in the country.

Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, in his turn to address the agriculture-related issue, questioned the prevailing weather conditions in the country and the government’s failure to officially declare a state of disaster. He stated that relief could be provided to families suffering from the disaster very soon and that he would request the government to declare a state of disaster by advising the relevant persons.

He also made comments regarding the debate on the expenditure head of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation, and asked to point out the programs that the government is implementing to promote agriculture. He pointed out that the government is doing nothing to develop the irrigation industry, has no plans to implement a national irrigation rehabilitation program, and has been unable to put into practice what it said when it was in the opposition. He further stated that today, the government has become an expert in releasing containers.

He stated that the farmers in the country should be strengthened, and a specific national program is needed to increase the value added by the farmers to the gross domestic product. Furthermore, he mentioned that the country needs an agricultural policy, and steps must be taken to truly protect the farmer, without any political interference. He requests that if these couldn’t be implemented, the country should be handed over to the opposition.

However, the opposition leader does not state that the country should be handed over if it cannot be controlled due to the disaster situation that has arisen in the country.  He states that in the debate on the expenditure head of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation, after commenting on the disastrous weather situation. What he states is that if the farmers cannot be protected, the country should be handed over to the opposition.

The full statement made by the Opposition Leader in Parliament is below.

However, some mainstream media outlets and social media posts attempted to portray it as a statement made by Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa on the need to take charge of the country in the face of the disaster caused by the current weather conditions in the country. 

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Conclusion :

A mainstream media outlet reported that the Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa had said that “The country is in a state of disaster. If you can’t do it, hand over the country to us.” However, this has been misleadingly reported, as Sajith Premadasa has made this comment on agriculture. He states that the country needs an agricultural policy and that steps should be taken to truly protect the farmer without any political interferences, and that if that cannot be done, the country should be handed over to them.