President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said people have the democratic right to question the actions and decisions of the Government, but warned that such freedom should not be used to spread hatred between ethnic communities.He made the remarks during a meeting with representatives of the All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama at the Presidential Secretariat today (10).

The President said the Government recognized the people’s full right to question those in power in a democratic society.

However, he stressed that no person has the right to make statements that create hatred among ethnic communities or promote hatred within society.The ACJU representatives also highlighted the spread of hate speech targeting the Muslim community through social media.The President said the Government’s objective was to create a society in which people could live according to their cultural identities without fear or insecurity.He also highlighted the need for all parties to understand politically driven ethnic currents and internal conflicts and prevent their recurrence.