The trade union action launched by employees of ITN came up in Parliament today with the JVP hurling accusations at Finance and Media Minister for appointing one of his friends as a Deputy General Manager triggering a crisis within the institution. 

Speaking in Parliament, JVP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake said the Media Minister had appointed one of his friends as a DGM violating the institutional procedure. 

Dissanayake also added that the DGM, appointed by Samaraweera, lacked minimum qualifications stipulated by the institution for the post. 

Commenting on the matter, Samaraweera said ITN, a state owned TV channel coming under his own ministry, had become a "den of thieves."

He said the current trade union action which has crippled the institution as a politically orchestrated move. 

Samaraweera, in an interesting turn of events, said he helped UPFA MP Niroshan Premaratne secure employment at ITN, several years ago. 

Samaraweera said he issued a letter for Premaratne, a former supporter of JVP, recommending him for a job at the state-owned channel. 

At that point, Samaraweera said, Premaratne was a supporter of Wimal Weerawansa who was then the Propaganda Secretary of the JVP. 

Premaratne worked as an announcer at ITN before becoming a Parliamentarian.