The UNP today charged that the “blunder” made by the Ministry of Defence, by posting a derogatory article on the Indian Prime Minister and Tamil Nadu chief minister on its website, underscores the “recklessness and devil-may-care attitude” of the present regime when it comes to affairs of state.

The Ministry of Defence, which is the overseer of national security and many other aspects of life in Sri Lanka, found itself in an embarrassing position over a defamatory article that was published on its official website last week.

The website published an article titled ‘How meaningful are Jayalalithaa’s love letters to Narendra Modi’ along with a caricature deeply offensive to the Prime Minister of India and the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.

The Sri Lankan Government was badly embarrassed after the Indian Government took the issue up at the highest levels, demanding an unconditional apology, the UNP said in a statement. 

Within 24 hours, the Ministry of Defence had to tender an apology to the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Jayalalitha Jayaram over the article and the picture that was published.

“In a ridiculous twist the Defence Ministry in its ‘unqualified apology’ claimed that the article had been published on its website without authorization,” the United National Party said.

“This is the level of irresponsibility which is now ruling the roost at the country’s defence establishment. On the other hand, this is the same unprofessional behavior that plunged Sri Lanka into trouble when it came to war crimes allegations and accountability issues.”

“This blunder made by the Ministry of Defence underscores the recklessness and devil-may-care attitude of the present regime when it comes to affairs of state,” it said.

The statement further reads: “In its damage control over the unfortunate caricature, the Defence Ministry is bending over backwards to express regret and apologise, yet its website has long since become a haven of content of the most racist and partisan type, often implicating without proof or substantiation attacks on diplomats and foreign governments.”

“It is also a reflection of the culture of fear inspired by the Defence Ministry of Sri Lanka, that has become the centre of all power in the incumbent regime, that the local English press had completely omitted publication of the unqualified apology, despite the diplomatic row the entire incident caused.

“Terror and impunity are what the Rajapaksa regime thrives on. To expect this Government to uphold the rule of law or mete out justice against heinous crimes is futile, since no one is served better than the regime itself by the breakdown of the justice system in this country.”