No ban on religious pilgrimages: Labour Ministry

Colombo, July 20 (Daily Mirror) - The Ministry of Labour has rejected as false social media claims alleging that Labour Minister and Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning Dr. Anil Jayantha Fernando had proposed banning religious pilgrimages to Dambadiva and Thailand.

In a statement, the Ministry clarified that the allegation was entirely fabricated and stressed that the Minister had never made such a statement.

The Ministry further alleged that the false claims were being circulated by groups pursuing narrow political agendas aimed at undermining Sri Lanka's social, political, and religious harmony.

Expressing strong condemnation, the Ministry said it deeply regretted the spread of what it described as "low-level false propaganda" intended to mislead the public.