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When a video began circulating on Sinhala social media feeds showing Deputy Minister Sunil Watagala bending down to clasp former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s feet in worship, it struck a familiar nerve. In a political culture where public gestures of loyalty are read closely, and where a former president still commands a devoted base, the sight of a sitting deputy minister appearing to prostrate himself before Rajapaksa spread quickly and drew heated comment. We investigated whether the video was real. Here is what we found.
Social Media Posts
The same video was shared more widely on Facebook, as seen below.
Social media users commented on the video believing it to be genuine, as shown below.
Fact Check
A genuine video of the Deputy Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs, Sunil Watagala, holding the feet of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa in worship would have been newsworthy enough for mainstream media to report. No mainstream outlet or official, credible source confirmed or reported any such incident.
The Original Footage Shows Only a Brief Conversation at a Funeral
The son of senior attorney-at-law Upul Kumarapperuma, a National People’s Power (NPP) candidate for the Matara District, died on June 12 after a sudden illness. Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa arrived on June 14, 2026, to pay his last respects. At the funeral, Deputy Minister Sunil Watagala approached Rajapaksa and spoke briefly with him, and that exchange became a talking point on social media. Mainstream media published a video recorded during the conversation, shown below.
In the footage, Sunil Watagala leans toward Rajapaksa and says something to him, but at no point does he hold the former President’s feet or worship him.
AI Detection Tools Confirmed the Video Was Fabricated
Because none of the videos reported by mainstream media show Sunil Watagala holding Mahinda Rajapaksa’s feet as depicted in the viral clip, and because the circulating video contained several unnatural elements, we examined it with several artificial intelligence content detection tools.
The results clearly indicated that the clip showing the Deputy Minister holding the former President’s feet in worship was created using artificial intelligence. The genuine video of the two men standing close together and talking was digitally manipulated with AI to produce the fake showing Watagala bowing at Rajapaksa’s feet. The side-by-side comparison is shown below.
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Conclusion
Our fact-check found that the video circulating on social media, showing Deputy Minister Sunil Watagala holding former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s feet in worship, was created using artificial intelligence.
At the funeral of the son of senior attorney-at-law Upul Kumarapperuma, Rajapaksa and Watagala were seen sitting close together and having a conversation, and mainstream media reported the original footage of that moment. That original video was digitally manipulated with AI to fabricate the clip showing the Deputy Minister bowing to touch the former President’s feet. No mainstream outlet or credible source reported the gesture, and AI content detection tools confirmed the manipulation.
Title: Viral Clip of Sunil Watagala Bowing to Touch Mahinda Rajapaksa’s Feet Is AI-Generated
Fact Check By: B.P Hansani
Result: False
