Northern Province Governor Nagalingam Vethanayahan has denied social media reports claiming that a ban had been imposed on Vesak dansals and festive decorations in the province, calling the claims “completely false.”
In a statement issued on Monday (May 25), the Governor said the reports that had circulated on social media over the preceding days had no basis. “I wish to state with full responsibility that no such decision has been taken by the Governor’s Secretariat, and that absolutely no discussions have taken place in this regard,” he said.
The Governor alleged that the false claims were being spread intentionally to undermine the longstanding ethnic and religious harmony of the Northern Province. He said a complaint had been lodged with the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) over the reports.
The denial comes as the country enters the state Vesak festival period running from May 27 to June 2, with dansals organised islandwide — more than 2,388 dansals had registered with authorities by May 23. The CID referral adds the episode to wider concerns over social media disinformation targeting Sri Lanka, with the Governor framing the reports as a deliberate attempt to provoke communal tension during the religious observance.
