Media comments attributed to Government Peace Secretariat chief Rajiva Wijesinha about Britain meddling in the internal affairs of Sri Lanka are being verified, the government said yesterday.

Media Minister Anura Priyadharshana Yapa fielding questions at the weekly cabinet press briefing in Colombo said that he had also seen the report. "The British High Commission has denied the comments purportedly made by Mr.Wijesinha. However we are in the process of verifying the issue."

Declining to elaborate further, Yapa said that the Foreign Minister would be in a better position to answer any further queries.

Taking a swipe at UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, he said that Wijesinha was related to Wickremesinghe but was quick to add that it does not mean there is a conspiracy.

"This indicates the divergence of views between the two even though they are related."

Wijesinha had reportedly told the Indian Website IANS that he believed Britain was looking for a "regime change" in Sri Lanka because it favoured the opposition UNP.