Claim: Image of Professor Meththika Vithanage and Sajith Premadasa, indicating that the Professor of Sri Jayewardenepura University has endorsed him as the presidential candidate.
Fact: The Viral image is edited. The campaign team of Sajith Premadasa has also refuted the claim.
A photograph, purportedly showing Professor Meththika Vithanage of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura with opposition leader and SJB Presidential candidate Sajith Premadasa, is going viral on social media platforms and messenger services such as WhatsApp, claiming that Meththika Vithanage is supporting Sajith Premadasa in the presidential election. However, Newschecker found the claim to be false.
An archive link of one such post can be seen here.
“Senior Lecture of the Faculty of Applied Science in Sri Jayewardenepura University Dr. Meththika Vithanage meeting with SJB Presidential Candidate Sajith Premadasa and pledging her support to him,” read the text superimposed on the viral image.
The image was further shared with a text that read, “The main culprit who was behind the cremation of Janazas, professor Meththika Vithanage”.
The image resembles a screenshot of a social media post purportedly posted by former MP Ajith P Perera, who is the active campaigner for Sajith Premadasa in the presidential election.
Also Read: Did Sajith Premadasa Say Muslims Brought Coronavirus To Sri Lanka?
Who is Meththika Vithanage?
Professor Meththika Vithanage was a member of Sri Lanka’s expert committee on COVID19 during the pandemic and advised Former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to cremate the COVID19 victims, including members of the Muslims community. Despite their requests, the former PM did not give permission to bury the COVID19 victims from the community, who were eventually cremated, a practice not followed in Islam. Sajith Premadasa was among those who raised their voice to condemn the move back then.
Fact check/Verification
We started by conducting a reverse image search on Google with the keywords “Methika Vithanage”, “supports” & “Sajith Premadasa”. However, we found no relevant results. We then analysed the viral image and noticed that the image appeared dubious, with the hands of Prof Vithanage indicating some sort of digital editing, raising our suspicion.
Newschecker then conducted a reverse image search on the viral image, which took us to an FB post by Prof Meththika Vithanage in which she can be seen sporting the same light-teal blazer, receiving what appears to be an award. She can be seen bearing the same facial expressions and gestures as the viral image, confirming that the viral image is edited.
We then reached out to the campaign team of presidential candidate Sajith Premadasa, who confirmed to us that the viral image of Meththika Vithanage and Sajith Premadasa was edited and that no such meeting had taken place between Meththika Vithanage and Sajith Premadasa. They also clarified that Prof Meththika Vithanage had made no comment supporting Sajith Premadasa.
We have also reached out to Prof Meththika Vithanage. The article will be updated with her comments when we receive them.
Also Read: Did WION Announce The Results of Sri Lanka Presidential Elections Already?
Conclusion
Thus, we find that the viral image claiming to show Prof Meththika Vithanage and Sajith Premadasa, is edited and has been shared with a false claim.
Result: Altered media
Sources
Self Analysis
Facebook post by Prof. Meththika Vithanage, dated April 1, 2024
Clarification by campaign team of Sajith Premadasa
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