False Claims Spread About ‘Teacher Amma’ Selling Idols
Claims stating that "Hayeshika Fernando creates and sells statues" are false, as confirmed to FactSeeker by sources close to Hayeshika.
by Anonymous |
May 19, 2025
Posts are being widely shared on social media based on a news item claiming that Hayeshika Fernando, popularly known as “Teacher Amma,” is creating and selling idols for Rs. 25,000. The news is attributed to Lankadeepa newspaper, where a headline reading “Teacher Amma creates idol – sells one for Rs. 25,000” has been circulated online through what appears to be a newspaper layout. This has sparked public curiosity and concern, with the content being interpreted as a confirmation of her involvement in religious statue-making for commercial purposes.
Upon investigation, FactSeeker found that this news item was not published in the main or feature pages of Lankadeepa’s national edition. However, after contacting the editorial board of Lankadeepa, it was confirmed that the story had appeared in a regional edition of the newspaper dated 12 May 2025. The editors clarified that the news was written based on the opinion of a senior police officer, and not on verified information.
To further verify the claim, FactSeeker contacted the Sri Lanka Police Media Spokesperson, Senior Police Officer Buddhika Manathunga, who stated that the police had not received any information regarding the sale of the statue mentioned in the article. Meanwhile, Anil Prasanga, media spokesperson for Hayeshika Fernando, also denied the claim, stating that they only learned of it through social media posts and that there was no truth to the allegation. Adding to this, Hayeshika Fernando herself addressed the issue in a video posted on her official Facebook page on April 19, in which she categorically stated that she was not selling any idols for Rs. 25,000 and labeled the circulating information as false.
Despite these denials, the Facebook page “Samarakon Puja Products Manufacturers,” which describes itself as an entertainment website, published an advertisement titled “Hayeshika Gurudevi Statue” using an image of the Lankadeepa layout dated April 18. This post was later followed by another one with content appearing to incite religious disrespect. FactSeeker attempted to contact the phone number listed on the Facebook page, but no credible or verifiable information was obtained from the source.
Given the lack of evidence, the denial by all official sources, and the clarification made by Hayeshika Fernando herself, FactSeeker confirms that the claim that she is making and selling idols for Rs. 25,000 is false.
