Did Minister Lal Kantha say he would make the Attorney General leave if he did not resign?

දිනපතා සත්‍ය කරුණු දැන ගැනීමට අපගේ WhatsApp චැනලයටමෙතනින් එකතුවන්න.

Amid a situation where one group has expressed support for the Attorney General while another has voiced opposition, a wider public debate has emerged regarding the conduct of the Attorney General.Against this backdrop, a post claiming to quote Minister K. D. Lal Kantha in relation to the Attorney General has been circulating widely on social media.

Social Media Posts :

The post claims that Minister K. D. Lal Kantha made a statement about the Attorney General, saying, “If the Attorney General does not leave, we know how to send him.”At first glance, the post appears to have been shared on the Hiru News Facebook page on the 23rd.

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Based on the reactions to the post and the number of times it has been shared on social media, it is clear that many users believe the Minister did in fact make such a statement.

Accordingly, we took steps to verify the accuracy of this claim.

Fact Check :

Did Minister K.D. Lal Kantha make a threatening statement about the Attorney General?

There has been a claim on social media that Minister K.D. Lal Kantha made a controversial statement about the Attorney General. This comes after his recent remarks on other public figures, like the Mihintale Chief Priest and the late Nandana Gunathilaka, which were already being discussed widely.

Moreover, during a conference in Colombo on the 21st titled “Let’s Read Lenin as a Revolutionary Mark,” the Minister made statements about political critics which were subjected to wide public debate. He said that groups who attack or criticise the government will face stronger retaliation, regardless of their status.

There is no such post on Hiru News’ official Facebook page!

Accordingly, the claim circulating on social media that Minister Lal Kantha said he “knows how to remove the Attorney General if he doesn’t step down” cannot be found on the official page. Furthermore, Hiru Digital has confirmed to us that the version being shared is a fake, manipulated copy, and they have never published such a statement.

Our fact-check also confirmed that no other mainstream media outlet has broadcast the statement attributed to the Minister. However, on 24 January, during a programme in Kandy, when journalists asked about the criticisms directed at the government regarding the appointments of the Attorney General and the Inspector General of Police, the Minister responded that some failed politicians raise various questions about these appointments. Moreover, he assured that the government would take the necessary corrective actions promptly.However, at this time, there are no media reports showing that Minister Lal Kantha has made any statements about the Attorney General that are circulating on social media.

Minister Lal Kantha’s Media Secretary

We contacted the Minister’s Media Secretary to confirm whether Minister Lal Kantha had made such statements. The Media Secretary clarified that the Minister has not made any statements of this kind on social media.

Accordingly, based on the available evidence, it is clear that Minister K.D. Lal Kantha has not publicly made any statements about the Attorney General that are circulating on social media.

Situation Regarding the Attorney General

In 2024, the current Attorney General, K.A. Parinda Ranasinghe, who has sworn in as the 49th Attorney General before former President Ranil Wickremesinghe, has faced mixed opinions. Some groups have criticized him, while others have publicly supported him.

Moreover, on the 21st, a protest was held in front of the Attorney General’s Department. Protestors raised concerns about serious cases, including the abduction of 11 youths, the assassination of Lasantha Wickramathunga, and the Easter Sunday attacks. They suggested there are serious questions about the Attorney General’s actions in these cases.

However, later that day, a group of lawyers visited the Attorney General to show support. He stated that he is not above the law and that anyone who believes he made a mistake can appeal to the Court of Appeal or Supreme Court.

Furthermore, the Bar Association issued a statement expressing concern over recent social media posts targeting the Attorney General.

Accordingly, discussions about the Attorney General also took place in Parliament, where the Minister of Justice answered opposition questions regarding his position in this way.

Government Response on Speculation About Removing the Attorney General.

The Minister of Justice, Attorney Harshan Nanayakkara, recently stated that no discussion has taken place in the Cabinet about removing the Attorney General or filing an impeachment against him. He further clarified that while social media shows various opinions about the Attorney General, these posts have no connection to the government.

Moreover, Cabinet Spokesperson Nalin Jayatissa confirmed that the government has not considered filing an impeachment against the Attorney General. However, he added that if a government institution does not function efficiently or meet public expectations, it is natural for officials to face some criticism.

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Conclusion:

According to our fact-checking, it is evident that Minister K.D. Lal Kantha did not make any statement saying, “we know how to remove the Attorney General if he doesn’t leave,” as is being circulated on social media. Therefore, the post spreading this claim is a fake, created by misusing the Hiru News format, and is clearly misleading to the public.