{"id":55,"date":"2019-09-04T06:10:02","date_gmt":"2019-09-04T06:10:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\/english\/?p=55"},"modified":"2022-02-21T10:12:21","modified_gmt":"2022-02-21T10:12:21","slug":"claim-sandani-fernando-supports-presidential-campaign-of-gotabaya-rajapaksa-or-sajith-premadasa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\/english\/claim-sandani-fernando-supports-presidential-campaign-of-gotabaya-rajapaksa-or-sajith-premadasa\/","title":{"rendered":"Did Sri Lankan model Sandani Fernando support any presidential campaign of Gotabaya Rajapaksa or Sajith Premadasa?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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With Sri Lankan Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) headed by former president Mahinda Rajapaksa announcing his brother Mr. Gotabaya Rajapaksa (Defense secretary during Rajapaksa regime) as the presidential candidate from the party number of posts have been shared on social media both in his favour and against. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even though United National Alliance led by United National Party (UNP) has not yet officially announced a presidential candidate, speculations are high as that would be Deputy Leader of UNP, Minister Sajith Premadasa, as he has publicly stated on him being a candidate for the forthcoming elections. As a result, Minister Sajith Premadasa is also in the limelight on social media political posts <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this context there was an image being widely circulated on Facebook in which Sri Lankan model Sandani Fernando was claiming to be supporting Mr. Gotabaya Rajapaksa\u2019s presidential campaign. The post displays Sandani Fernando dressed in a t-shirt with SLPP party symbol and holding a photo of Gotabaya Rajapaksa. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even though the original post shared from a page called \u201cPresidential Election 2020 Sri Lanka<\/a>\u201d had been removed from the time of writing this article number of posts in which screen shot of the original post was being shared as below along with an explanation from Sandani Fernando.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cVoice of a People’s Government<\/a>\u201d page claiming it\u2019s a sad effort by the SLPP party supporters (\u0db6\u0dba\u0dd2\u0dba\u0db1\u0dca\u0d9c\u0dda \u0dc4\u0dd2\u0d9c\u0db1 \u0dc0\u0dd0\u0da9) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Facebook Post<\/a><\/td>Archived Link<\/a><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLive Sri Lanka\u201d Facebook page also reported the incident as \u201cCheap politics by SLPP (\u0db4\u0ddc\u0dc4\u0ddc\u0da7\u0dca\u0da7\u0dd4\u0dc0\u0dda \u0dc4\u0dd2\u0d9c\u0db1 \u0daf\u0dda\u0dc1\u0db4\u0dcf\u0dbd\u0db1\u0dba)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Facebook Post<\/a><\/td>Archived Link<\/a><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n\n\n\n

Same post was published by Facebook user \u201c\u0db0\u0db1\u0dd4\u0dc2\u0dca\u0d9a \u0dad\u0dd2\u0dbb\u0dcf\u0dab\u0d9c\u0db8\u201d as well<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Facebook user \u201cMaduka Thaksala Fernando\u201d stating as a shameless effort from SLPP party supporters (\u0dbd\u0dd0\u0da2\u0dca\u0da2 \u0db1\u0dd0\u0dad\u0dd2 \u0db6\u0dba\u0dd2\u0dba\u0ddd)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Facebook Post<\/a><\/td>Archived Link<\/a><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n\n\n\n

At the same time we found a Facebook post in which Sandani Fernando was holding a photo of minister of housing, construction and cultural affairs and deputyy leader of UNP ,  Sajith Premadasa by G I R L class<\/a> facebook page and asking everyone to share and report the post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Facebook Post<\/a><\/td>Archived Link<\/a><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n\n\n\n

The same post has been shared in the Facebook Group UNP\u2665 \u0db6\u0dd0\u0dad\u0dd2\u0db8\u0dad\u0dca\u0dad\u0dd4??? by facebook user Chinthaka Lakshan<\/a> as below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Facebook Post<\/a><\/td>Archived Link<\/a><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n\n\n\n

Fact Check (<\/strong>\u0dc3\u0dad\u0dca\u200d\u0dba<\/strong> <\/strong>\u0dad\u0ddc\u0dbb\u0dad\u0dd4\u0dbb\u0dd4<\/strong> <\/strong>\u0dc0\u0dd2\u0db8\u0dbb\u0dca\u0dc1\u0db1\u0dba<\/strong> <\/strong>\u0d9a\u0dd2\u0dbb\u0dd3\u0db8<\/strong>)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since we found 2 clear streams in which SLPP presidential candidate Mr. Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Minister Sajith Fernando were associated with a photo claiming to be of Sandani Fernando a Google Reverse Image Search was carried out to find the original image. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

From the Google reverse image search we found that the original image initiaed from the Instagram account of official Sandani Fernando<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Furthermore, after searching the official facebook page of Sandani Fernando we were able to find the original post which she had posted asking whoever created the post to find a better job as she is not supporting any political party.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sandani Fernando Facebook Post<\/a><\/td>Archived Link<\/a><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n\n\n\n
\"\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Therefore it is evident from the statement of Sandani Fernado\u2019s official facebook account that the images being circulated are an edited version of an image from her Instagram account on March 18th, in which she is seen holding a tab which she had purchased.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conclusion: (<\/strong>\u0d85\u0dc0\u0dc3\u0dcf\u0db1 <\/strong>\u0db1\u0dd2\u0d9c\u0db8\u0db1\u0dba)<\/strong>From our investigation, it is evident the claim in which \u201cSri Lankan model Sandani Fernando supported the presidential campaign of Gotabaya Rajapaksa or Sajith Premadasa\u201d is totally false. \n\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n