Yesterday, he was punched and kicked by unidentified men protesting against a purported visit to the temple by former Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Sri Saranan said in a statement today that it was a simple misunderstanding between the protestors that sparked the commotion outside the temple.

“The protesters thought Mr Rajapaksa will be visiting the temple and hence went there to intercept him.

“The fact is, the Sri Lanka Buddhist Temple did not invite Rajapaksa to visit, nor did the former President indicate that he was visiting there.”

Sri Saranan said yesterday’s protest was brief and quickly diffused and the temple was not damaged in any way.

The chief monk advised the public to exercise caution when reading postings on social media, as the postings could be exaggerating the whole situation.

Sri Saranan said: “As Buddhists, we should always be kind, understanding, and empathetic towards people. We should maintain our peace of heart and goodness in character even when challenged.”

Tamil groups in Malaysia blame Rajapaksa for being behind the massacre of 100,000 Tamil Sri Lankans during the country’s 25-year-long civil war.

Rajapaksa was rumoured to be planning a visit to the eight Sri Lankan Buddhist temples in Malaysia.

Some Tamil NGOs in the capital set out to keep watch to prevent his visit. They have held demonstrations outside the Putra World Trade Centre, where Rajapaksa was believed to be attending a conference of Asian political parties.

It is unknown whether Rajapaksa is still in the country.