An attempt has been alleged to create trouble for public security minister Tiran Alles when he spoke to the media this morning (06) with regard to the dispute over on-arrival visa issuance.
Now, information has come to light about a cabinet minister who had watched the proceedings live and directed questions at a certain journalist to be asked from minister Alles.
After the briefing ended, several journalists told him about what had happened.
During the briefing, Alles said that the new visa issuance method was unanimously passed in parliament on 23 November.
Since the adopted proposals could not be implemented via Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA), they had to be delayed until 17 April for implementation via VFS, he said.
Noting that VFS is not an Indian institution but rather an international company predominantly owned by the Black Stone Group, with Cooney Company of Germany as another shareholder, Minister Alles reiterated that the company's operations are not limited to India.
Contrary to claims made in a contentious video, Minister Alles revealed that 13 Sri Lankans were employed at the visa counters during the incident in question, emphasizing the diverse workforce of VFS.
He also clarified that VFS does not have the authority to approve or reject visa applications, highlighting that such decisions are solely within the jurisdiction of Sri Lanka's Immigration Department.
