• Yoshitha told Daily Mirror that such rumours circulated on social media were baseless
• I am not associated with him in anyway. His resignation has nothing to do with me 

By JAMILA HUSAIN  

Chief of Staff to Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa- Yoshitha Rajapaksa has denied rumours that he slapped musician and lyricist Iraj Weeraratne, that had led to the musician to resign from the post of Director of the National Youth Services Council (NYSC).  

Yoshitha told Daily Mirror that such rumours circulated on social media were baseless and he had no association to Weeraratne.   “The last occasion I saw him was at a function I attended some time back. I am not associated with him in anyway. His resignation has nothing to do with me,” 

Yoshitha said.   Posts have been circulating on social media since Wednesday, claiming that Iraj had submitted his resignation from the NYSC due to him being assaulted by Yoshitha.   Iraj was a non-executive director at the NYSC.   

He had sent a letter to Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Namal Rajapaksa on Wednesday informing his decision to resign from the post.

  
He said the decision was taken as he had to attend to some urgent personal work.