Wed 13 July 2022:
India on Wednesday “categorically denied baseless and speculative media reports” that it had facilitated Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s travel to escape out of Sri Lanka.
The Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka took to Twitter and rejected such claims being published by several media outlets and also assured that India will continue to stand with the people of the distressed island nation, the Daily Mirror reported.
Earlier, President Rajapaksa arrived in the Maldives after fleeing Sri Lanka in the middle of Tuesday evening.
The Sri Lanka Air Force has now confirmed that military aircraft was provided for President Rajapaksa, his wife Ioma Rajapaksa and two security officers to fly to the Maldives, following a request by the existing government, the Daily Mirror reported.
In a brief statement, the Sri Lankan Air Force said that under the Constitution granted to an Executive President, Rajapaksa was flown to the Maldives onboard an Air Force plane Wednesday morning.
“On government request and in terms of powers available to a President under the Constitution, with complete approval from the ministry of defence, the President, his wife and two security officials were provided a Sri Lanka Air Force plane to depart from the Katunayake international airport for the Maldives in the early hours of July 13,” the statement said.
Rajapaksa, who enjoys immunity from prosecution while he is president, is believed to have wanted to flee abroad before resigning to avoid the possibility of arrest by the new government.
It remains unclear whether the embattled President will remain in the Maldives or is simply using it as a temporary port of call before flying on to another destination.
Emergency declared
Protesters have stormed the office of Sri Lanka’s prime minister as police use tear gas on crowds.
A nationwide state of emergency has been declared by the prime minister’s office and a curfew has been imposed in the Western Province in Sri Lanka.today, hours after President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country, the prime minister’s office said.
“Since the president is out of the country, an emergency has been declared to deal with the situation in the country,” Dinouk Colombage, spokesman for Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, told AFP.
On Wednesday, groups could be seen scaling the wall and entering the office as the crowds roared in support, cheering them on and waving the Sri Lankan flag.
Police used tear gas to try to disperse the crowd but failed and more and more marched down the lane and towards the office.
The economic crisis in Sri Lanka has triggered severe food and fuel shortages resulting in people queuing for hours to buy supplies.
SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES
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