News Today: Former President Ranil Wickremesinghe lashes out at Al Jazeera in an explosive interview, accusing panelists of bias.

Former Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe has publicly criticized Al Jazeera and its panelists, accusing them of bias and selective reporting in a recent interview. Wickremesinghe, who spoke to Legacy Daily after the interview, expressed his discontent over the choice of panelists and the way his responses were edited.

“I was informed that Human Rights Lawyer and Former Commissioner of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka, Ambika Sathkunanathan, would be part of the discussion. I was happy about it as I have known her, even though our ideologies differ. However, during the interview, I found out that two different panelists had been included instead of Ms. Sathkunanathan. I have been told that both had pro-LTTE affiliations,” Wickremesinghe stated.

According to him, the interview was not conducted in a fair and transparent manner. “Unlike local media interviews that are aired live, this was different. They interviewed me for two hours, but only one hour of the footage was released. The best parts were missing,” he added.

Wickremesinghe also clarified his stance when questioned about political developments during the Rajapaksa administration. “I was not in power at that time, so those events do not concern me. Additionally, I stated that the Mahanayaka of the Malwathu Chapter is the foremost religious leader in Sri Lanka, while others, including Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, are just other religious leaders,” he explained.

The controversy surrounding this interview has sparked debate across media circles and political discussions in Sri Lanka. With accusations of biased reporting and selective editing, Wickremesinghe’s statements are making headlines, drawing mixed reactions from both supporters and critics.