Sri Lanka, Oct. 20 -- Cabinet Spokesperson and Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa today (20) addressed several controversial issues surrounding the new Protection of the State from Terrorism Bill, which the government presented to Parliament.

Rejecting reports that the proposed legislation would allow people to be arrested for having long hair or tattoos, the minister also responded to concerns raised on social media by President's Counsel Saliya Pieris.

Jayatissa said leading legal experts in the field contributed to drafting the bill, including individuals who studied law under Pieris or worked in the same field. He stressed that the draft did not contain what he described as such "naive provisions".

The minister said anyone who had conc...