By Ajith Siriwardana and Yohan Perera 

State Minister of Tourism Diana Gamage yesterday called for an inquiry to ascertain who influenced Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) Director General Dhammika Wijayasinghe to quit from her role.

She told Parliament that as the State Minister of Tourism, she was unaware of who pressurised her to step down.

The Minister said she was bringing in the matter not as a minister but as a woman.

“Who objected Wijayasinghe to head SLTDA just because she is a woman. Don’t the women have equal rights?,” she asked.

Responding to a question by Parliamentarian Dayasiri Jayasekara, Ms Gamage said she had not been assigned any duty or subject as the State Minister of Tourism.