Tamil MP summoned by court for a ‘fake post’ on social media
Senior Tamil MP from Jaffna and leader of the Tamil People’s National Front (TNPF) Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam has been summoned by the police for a social media post that has been proven fake.
Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam has been summoned by the Mallakam Magistrate’s Court on Friday (14) based on a complaint by the OIC of the Palali police station.
The MP has categorically stated the said post circulating on social media denying any attribution to him, which has been proven fake by fact-checkers.
Taking to his social media platform the leader of the TNPF said even after saying the ‘fake posting’ and denying the allegations.
“Despite me immediately issuing denials in my social media handles on Facebook and X and having a press conference as well issuing denials about a poster that had been circulated in the social media of me calling for people to get together to destroy the illegally built Vihare in Thieddy, the police have filed a case against me at the Mallakam Magistrate’s court based on that poster! I’ve received summons to appear in court on the 14th of February”.
According to the court document he has been summoned for the alleged offence or information received about “posting information on social media calling upon people to assemble to damage the Tissa Maharama Buddhist Vihara in Palali”.
Amidst the fake news propaganda allegedly by anti-Tamil forces, a massive protest demonstration was held near the controversial vihara “illegally being constructed” in Thayiddy, on Wednesday (12).
Responding to a call by the TNPF hundreds of Tamils participated in the demonstration. Another MP from Jaffna Sivagnanam Shritharan representing the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchi, Velan Swamigal religious head of the Sivaguru Adheenam and members of civil society organizations, social activists, and others joined the TNPF in the protest.
Meanwhile, the same Mallakam Magistrate’s court had issued an interim stay on any protests led by Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam being staged in front of the Tissa Maharama Vihara or affecting the right to worship of the people coming there and causing any damage to the Vihara.
Earlier this week the Jaffna MP and TNPF leader had accused the military of acting against the Tamils even though the war came to an end years ago. In his speech in the parliament, he said the military as an institution is against the Tamil people.
“The Military is still working on a counter-insurgency mode. They have not come out of that mindset where they have fought a war, and in the process of fighting a war they have transformed unfortunately, I am saying this with utmost responsibility into an institution that is against the Tamil people, against Tamil interest”.
He cited the military’s involvement in the construction as an example of their attitude towards the Tamil people.
“And, a classic example of that phenomenon is with regards to how the military has been involved in building this illegal vihara in Thayiddi Tissavihara where when we heard the army commander at that time had come and laid the foundation stone and it was being built on private land”.
He went on to add that the Tissa Maharama Vihara continues to be built on private lands despite being confirmed in the Jaffna DCC meeting held recently.
“At the DCC meeting with a few days of that foundation stone being laid, the matter was discussed with the GA present, with the Tellipalai divisional secretary present, and it was confirmed with the local government authority Valikamam north pradeshya sabha chairman and secretary present it was confirmed it was on private land and this land did not belong to any Vihara”.
He also accused the construction of the Vihara was continuing even after a ruling was made and called the vihara and its construction illegal.
“Despite the fact that a ruling was made at the District Coordinating Committee that any building process must stop immediately, the military went ahead and built that illegal vihara”.
Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam pointed out in his speech at the parliament it was agreed the land on which the construction of the Tissa Maharama Vihara is going on is a private land.
This matter was brought up on the 13th of December 2024 at the DCC meeting when the Hon. Minister of Fisheries Mr Chandrasekaran chaired the session. It was also brought again on the 31st of January 2025, when His Excellency Anura Kumara Dissanayaka chaired the DCC meeting and both these occasions everyone agreed the military was present and everybody agreed the land was private.
Social media users have strongly criticized the summon issued to the MP for the fake post with many alleging it to be an act by the state and its forces.
For many years, the Tamil landowners have been fighting to reclaim their lands on which the Vihara is being controversially built now. The TNPF is supporting the landowners in this regard. Despite continuing demands, successive governments have not come forward to release the land and hand it over to the rightful owners.
While the construction of the vihara continues unabated on private lands belonging to the Tamils, the All Ceylon Buddhist Congress has now demanded additional lands around the vihara for the construction of pilgrim lodges and other facilities for the Buddhists visiting there.
Tamils fear the entire area could be transformed into a Buddhist religious complex at the expense of the war-affected Tamil landowners.
The Buddhist Congress alleged to be a ‘racist organization’ is headed by a former director of the National Intelligence Bureau who is also a former Deputy Inspector General of Police.
