On Wednesday, India denied rumours of hosting fleeing Sri Lankan politicians following violent clashes between pro-Rajapaksa and anti-government protesters over the spiralling economic and political crisis on the island nation.
High Commission has recently noticed rumours circulating in sections of media & social media that certain political persons and their families have fled to India.
— India in Sri Lanka (@IndiainSL) May 10, 2022
These are fake and blatantly false reports,devoid of any truth or substance.High Commission strongly denies them.
The Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka said in a tweet: “[The] High Commission has recently noticed rumours circulating in sections of media & social media that certain political persons and their families have fled to India,” adding, “These are fake and blatantly false reports, devoid of any truth or substance. High Commission strongly denies them.”
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, the spokesperson for India’s External Affairs Ministry, Arindam Bagchi, extended the country’s support for Sri Lanka’s “democracy, stability, and economic recovery,” and underscored the need for a diplomatic solution. Noting India’s historical ties with Sri Lanka, Bagchi said, “India will always be guided by the best interests of the people of Sri Lanka expressed through democratic processes.”
Sri Lanka Economic Crisis Coverage:
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Highlighting India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy, Bagchi said that this year alone, India has extended $3.5 billion in support to Sri Lanka, including over 200,000 metric tonnes of diesel, hundreds of millions of dollars in lines of credit, financial support deals, currency swaps, and loan deferments in order to alleviate fuel, food, and medicine shortages.
India’s comments come amid deadly protests in Sri Lanka that have resulted in the death of at least eight people and injured around 200. Following a day of violent clashes, Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Defence armed forces were ordered to open fire at any individual caught “damaging public property or threatening lives.”
A protest underway in front of the Trincomalee Naval Base claiming former PM Mahinda Rajapaksa and his family members are inside pic.twitter.com/fJ6hOh6b3Y
— NewsWire 🇱🇰 (@NewsWireLK) May 10, 2022
On Monday, following Mahinda Rajapaksa’s resignation, pro-government protesters destroyed tents, burned placards, and assaulted peaceful protesters. According to the police, a ruling party legislator shot himself dead after shooting at protesters, one of whom he killed, in a town near the capital city.
In retaliation, anti-government protesters burned the ancestral home of the Rajapaksa brothers and other ruling party legislators. The PM reportedly left his official residence on Tuesday morning under tight security as his residence was surrounded by a mob that had reportedly tried to break in on Monday night. Protesters have blocked the road leading to the airport to stop ruling party legislators and Rajapaksa supporters from fleeing the country. In fact, they have surrounded a naval base in Trincomalee, where Mahinda Rajapaksa is believed to be hiding with his family.
Former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa taken to the Trincomalee Dock Yard for security reasons.
— Sri Lanka Tweet 🇱🇰 💉 (@SriLankaTweet) May 11, 2022
Once the situation returns to normalcy the former PM will be moved to a location he wishes: Defence Secretary #LKA #SriLanka
To curtail violence, the President announced a nationwide curfew from Monday until Thursday and deployed the military to maintain law and order. The President had even asked his brother and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa to step down during last week’s cabinet meeting, but this, too, has failed to appease the protesters, who are demanding the entire government’s resignation.
Against this backdrop, Rajapaksa pled on Twitter for citizens to “reject the subversive attempts to push you towards racial & religious disharmony” and to “remain calm & stop violence & acts of revenge against citizens, irrespective of political affiliations.”