Opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe said yesterday that the media having accused  former President Ranasinghe Premadasa, of violating human rights and journalistic freedoms was silent on the sins committed by the Mahinda Rajapaksa government.

 Speaking at a ceremony held to commemorate the 15th death anniversary of  President Premadasa, near his statute in Colombo 12, Wickremesinghe said that under the Rajapaksa administration, people including journalists are being hounded and killed but the media has failed to highlight the blatant abuse of power.

"Vituperative and revengeful attacks on Mr. Premadasa  are published even now. But, the media is silent on the flagrant human rights violations committed by the Mahinda Rajapaksa government."

 Premadasa, he said permitted media freedom and did not  prevent human rights organizations visiting Sri Lanka, to observe and comment on the allegations against his administration, unlike now, where international monitors are got rid of, based on false and hillarious allegations.

 The services rendered by Premadasa for the upliftment of the poor, can never be forgotten or erased by malicious attacks on him, Wickremesinghe added.

 Sajith Premadasa MP, said that he was committed to carrying forward his fathers poverty alleviation programmes.

"The government has discarded Mr. Ranasinghe Premadasa’s efforts to eradicate poverty and replaced it with a political activity called Samurdhi."