{
  "id": 10813143,
  "title": "Civil society activist accuses govt. of favouring Ven. Gnanasara",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/30/civil-society-activist-accuses-govt-of-favouring-ven-gnanasara",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-30T00:05:20.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Island Sri Lanka",
    "slug": "the-island-sri-lanka",
    "url": "http://island.lk/civil-society-activist-accuses-govt-of-favouring-ven-gnanasara/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Civil society activist Gamini Viyangoda criticized the NPP government for not acting swiftly on the Supreme Court's decision to revoke President Maithripala Sirisena's pardon for Ven. Gnanasara. At a gathering in Sri Lanka, Viyangoda accused the current government of favoring the monk in a manner similar to previous administrations. He questioned why law enforcement authorities failed to apprehend Gnanasara after the Supreme Court's ruling on September 14th. In 2018, the monk was sentenced to six years for contempt of court and intimidating Sandya Eknaligoda, who went missing in 2010. However, President Sirisena pardoned him before he served even a year of his sentence. Viyangoda accused the government of shielding a wrongdoer and claimed to have personally sought Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's intervention to arrest Gnanasara during the Yahapalana era. He alleged that the Wickremesinghe government also shielded Gnanasara. The Court of Appeal issued a warrant for Gnanasara's arrest and ordered his production before the court on October 1st.",
  "summary": "Court of Appeal issues warrant for monk’s arrest by Shamindra Ferdinando Civil society activist Gamini Viyangoda on Monday (28) lambasted the NPP government for its failure to act promptly on the Supreme Court cancelling the presidential pardon granted to the General Secretary of Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) Galagodaatte Gnanasara. Addressing a gathering at the Sri […]",
  "key_points": [
    "Gamini Viyangoda accuses NPP government of favoring Ven. Gnanasara",
    "Supreme Court revoked Maithripala Sirisena's pardon for Gnanasara on 14th September",
    "Viyangoda claims Wickremesinghe government also shielded Gnanasara"
  ],
  "editors_take": "The government's inaction on arresting Ven. Gnanasara despite the Supreme Court's ruling suggests it is shielding him, continuing a pattern of favouritism shown by previous administrations.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}