Viral Claim of SJB MP S.M. Marikkar Joining President Ranil Wickremesinghe is Misleading

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As the presidential election in Sri Lanka approaches, there has been a surge in misleading posts and disinformation campaigns on social media, particularly targeting the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), the main opposition party. These campaigns aim to undermine the party’s credibility and influence voter perception through misleading  content.

Social Media Posts 

A viral video on social media claims that S.M. Marikkar, a Member of Parliament (MP) from the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) party, has joined forces with President Ranil Wickremesinghe.

FB | Archived 

Fact-Check:

This claim is misleading. The video in question is over two months old and was recorded at a funeral house in Piliyandala. In the video, S.M. Marikkar is seen interacting with President Ranil Wickremesinghe. However, this interaction was not a political move or an indication of Marikkar joining forces with the president.

ITN News reported on the funeral, and the same background can be seen in news footage without Marikkar’s appearance.

The video captures Marikkar asking the president to sign a duty-free vehicle permit for him. This exchange was purely administrative and had no political implications.

To clarify, S.M. Marikkar’s media unit has confirmed that there has been no shift in his political allegiance, and the video is being misrepresented on social media.

The SJB media unit also denied the rumours that Marikkar was joining Ranil.

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Conclusion:

The viral social media claim that SJB MP S.M. Marikkar has joined President Ranil Wickremesinghe is false. The video is old and relates to an administrative request, not a political alliance or move. Social media users should be cautious of such misleading content.