Sri Lanka ran out of the foreign reserve and yet, was indebted with the debt of $51 billion. Lankans are protesting against the government inherited by the Rajapaksa family. As per the sources, the Sri Lankan economy got severely damaged, thus people are demanding the resignation of the present President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Meanwhile, the ministers of the Sri Lanka People’s Front have resigned in support of the movement. Amid the crisis, Rajapaksa appointed 17 new Cabinet Ministers to the party.
Sri Lankan protest has been widely discussed on Social Media as astounding art and graphical representations were spotted at the protest site. Furthermore, the scope of fake and misleading news is always high on the wall of social media after the protest occurs.
In this report, we are going to highlight the fake and misleading news spread during the crisis.
Fake claim 1
As per the record, the lack of foreign reserves has caused inflation in the price of fuel, and food medicine. Meanwhile, the news of former finance minister Basil Rajapaksa is getting viral on social media. NewsNow360 has tweeted that Basil Rajapaksa ran away from the island after he was admitted to a hospital in the country.
#Breaking:
Former Min Basil Rajapaksa has left the island via Rathmalana Airport, in a private jet registered under #America. He was admitted to Lanka Hospital due to #Covid19 as reported by media last evening. #lka #SriLanka #SriLankanCrisis #SriLankaProtests pic.twitter.com/lnJuLTsnoj— NewsNow360 (@NewsNow360) April 16, 2022
Fact check
As per the news, The Morning shared a confirmation about the minister staying in the country. The Chief Manager of the Colombo International Airport has denied the minister’s departure from the country.
- Cassilingham, Coordinating Secretary of the current Prime Minister has also confirmed the former finance minister’s stay in the county.
False story! He’s very much in Sri Lanka. https://t.co/6OxVRF0jx2
— G. Cassilingham (@CassilingamG) April 16, 2022
Conclusion: Therefore the claim is fake. As Basil Rajapaksa didn’t leave the country.
Fake Claim 2
As we all know that Sri Lanka is facing inflation of 20% in terms of fuel and other amenities. Meanwhile, the news is getting viral on social media, where users are claiming that in the year 2017, an era of good governance was seen. As people were lined up in a queue while refilling petrol.
Many other users are also sharing the picture and claiming it is a sight of a petrol pump in Sri Lanka.
Fact check
After doing the reverse image search, we found that the image is from the year 2012. Reuters posted the viral picture and captioned it as a sight of Ahmedabad, India.
Conclusion: Therefore, the claim is misleading as Lankan users were posting a picture of India and claiming it of Sri Lanka.
Fake claim 3
When protestors flounced into the house of President Gotabaya Rajapaksha, police released tear gases and water tankers on the public to stop them. In the process, a resident got injured. Meanwhile, another news is getting viral of a man who addressed the problem of protestors to the cops in Mirihana.
Fact check
After cross-checking, we found that Rukshan Bellana, the deputy director of the Colombo South Teaching Hospital claimed that none of the protestors who got admitted was in serious condition.
Furthermore, no such news came by over the death of the man.
Conclusion: Therefore, the claim is misleading.
Fake claim 4
After the resignation of former ministers from the party, a rumour is getting viral on the Internet that Anura Kumara was invited by the ruling to become the new Prime Minister of the country.
Fact check
Although Gotabaya Rajapaksa has asked for help from the opposition party members during the time of this crisis but no such news has been found over the internet about the claim.
Conclusion: Therefore, the claim is fake.
Fake claim 5
Nikita Samaratunga shared a picture of Rajapaksa throwing a chair at the police officers on 7th April. In the caption, she raises the question about how Rajapaksa still exist in the parliament after this heinous act.
Remind me again why he’s even in Parliament? #SriLankaCrisis #SriLankaEconomicCrisis https://t.co/0ve1E2calR pic.twitter.com/nGM1AvPcTy
— Nikita Samaratunga (@nikita61093) April 7, 2022
Fact check
After doing the reserve image search, we found that the image is from the year 2018 when Prime Minister Mahendra Rajapaksa threw chilli powder and a chair at the police. As most of the ministers passed a no-confidence motion against him in parliament.
Deccan Chronicle also covered the news of the violence that erupted between parties in the Lankan parliament.
