Arjuna denies President asked him not to interfere with Sports Ministry’s affairs

Minister of Petroleum Resources Development Arjuna Ranatunga today denied that President Mathripala Sirisena asked him not to look into the affairs of the Sports Ministry during a recent Cabinet meeting, as claimed by a local newspaper.

Speaking during a welfare project ‘Game Pansala-Gamata Saviyak’ organized by the youth organization, the minister emphasized that reporting such false news is an insult to the President.

Co-Cabinet Spokesperson Dr. Rajitha Senaratne has also stated that the President did not make any such statement to him, said the Minister.

He further stated that false news of this sort is created by certain politicians who do not have a vote-base and were rejected by the public during the previous general election.

Further responding to a query by a media person whether he was involved in an argument with Sports Minister Faiszer Musthapha at the Cabinet meeting, Ranatunga denied any such clash.

The minister said that he only tried to point out certain misleading paragraphs, which he saw as a mistake, in the Cabinet paper presented by the Minister Faiszer Musthapha.

However certain ministers who depend on Facebook users had tried to propagate a nonexistent situation, added the Minister.