සංඝ සමුළුවේදී සමාජ මාධ්‍ය කතාබහට ලක්වූ හිමිනම ගැන විහාරාධිපතිගෙන් හෙළිදරව්වක්: “ගිහියෙක් නෙවෙයි, අපේ පන්සලේ පොඩි හාමුදුරුවෝ!”

Head Abbot Clarifies Identity of Monk Mocked on Social Media Over Sangha Summit: “Not a Layman, He is Our Temple’s Young Monk!”

Following the recent Sangha Summit held in Colombo, the Chief Incumbent of the temple in the Henanigala Veddah village has held a special media briefing to reveal the truth regarding a young monk whose long hair and beard became the target of severe mockery and discussion on social media.

During the press conference, the Chief Incumbent strongly stated that claims spread across social media—alleging that the monk in question was a layman disguised in robes—are entirely false and malicious propaganda.

A summary of the statements made by the Chief Incumbent during the media briefing is as follows:

• Revealing True Identity: It was clarified that the monk targeted on social media is Ven. Wimalakiththi Thero (seated to the right), one of the monks from Henanigala, and it was firmly established using his Bhikkhu Identity Card and National Identity Card that he is by no means a layman.

• Reason for Hair and Beard: It was explained that due to the extreme heat in the Polonnaruwa region and active involvement in construction work at the temple, the young monk was temporarily unable to shave his head and beard.

• Absence of Political Motives: The Chief Incumbent emphasized that the Sangha Summit was organized solely for the betterment of the Buddha Sasana without any political agenda, expressing regret that some individuals attempted to twist it politically to defame individuals.

• The Need to Protect the Sangha: Highlighting that monks are increasingly being targeted with false accusations and relentless attacks in modern times, the prelate urged society to act with responsibility and urged the parties responsible for spreading these falsehoods to correct them immediately.