In a sharply worded commentary, Professor Nirmal Ranjith Dewasiri has ridiculed Deputy Minister Chaturanga Abeysinghe’s decision to file a legal complaint over alleged reputational damage, suggesting the move has backfired spectacularly. Speaking through a video posted on his YouTube channel, the outspoken academic likened the deputy minister to a Koholla baba—a Sinhala phrase used to mock someone who has become a figure of ridicule.
According to Dewasiri, it remains unclear how exactly Chaturanga’s reputation was damaged, and even if it was, “there’s very little anyone can do about it.” Instead of salvaging his public image, the complaint has, in Dewasiri’s view, only intensified public mockery. “By dragging this into court, he’s only given more fuel to the criticism. The damage has grown. In the end, he’s become a Koholla baba,” he said, laughing off the deputy minister’s move as counterproductive.
Dewasiri didn’t stop there. He also touched on the ethics of public discourse, noting that when someone uses social media responsibly and with moral clarity, they naturally invite protection from unjust attacks. “Like dharma protecting dharma,” he said, “those who try to tarnish such individuals will only end up harming themselves. The ones who act with integrity don’t suffer. The attackers do.”
The academic’s commentary adds a layer of public scrutiny to a controversy that many already saw as overblown. For critics, Chaturanga’s actions appear more like an attempt to score political points and gain visibility than a genuine defense of character. And as Dewasiri’s remarks gather traction online, it’s clear that the court of public opinion may be far harsher than any legal one.
In trying to silence the noise, it seems, the deputy minister may have only amplified it.
