By Online Desk
Hundreds of angry protesters have entered Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s office in Sri Lanka’s capital Colombo hours after news emerged that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has fled to the Maldives early today morning in the face of a public revolt against his government for mishandling the country’s economy. The mobbing has prompted police to fire tear gas to hold them back from overrunning the compound
Following the President’s exit, Sri Lanka declared an indefinite nationwide state of emergency today.
#WATCH | Sri Lanka: Hundreds of furious protestors enter the premises of the Sri Lankan PM’s residence in Colombo as they breach the security deployment amid tear-gas shelling pic.twitter.com/CjMnuHgUjc
— ANI (@ANI) July 13, 2022
Visuals depicted the mob breaching the heavy security arrangements outside the office. The protesters are demanding that Ranil Wickremesinghe step down along with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who had promised to do so on July 13.
“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.
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Police said they were also imposing an indefinite curfew across the Western Province, which includes the capital Colombo, to contain growing protests after Rajapaksa flew to the Maldives in a military aircraft.
“There are ongoing protests outside the prime minister’s office in Colombo and we need the curfew to contain the situation,” a senior police officer told AFP.
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa took off from the country for the Maldives on an Antonov-32 military aircraft with his wife and a bodyguard who were among four passengers on board, media reports stated citing immigration sources.
#WATCH Protesters face to face with military personnel deployed outside Sri Lankan prime minister’s residence in ColomboRanil Wickremesinghe is a failed prime minister, says a protester. pic.twitter.com/6TtfT9wvky
— ANI (@ANI) July 13, 2022
Tens of thousands of men and women overran Rajapaksa’s official residence on July 9, forcing him to escape to a military base and later flee the country.
Meanwhile, India today categorically denied “baseless and speculative” media reports that it facilitated the travel of Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
ALSO READ | India rejected Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s request for a safe getaway?
Rajapaksa on July 11 signed his resignation letter which will be handed over to the Speaker of Parliament to make a public announcement today.
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on Wednesday will be sworn in as the President for a temporary period till a new President is elected by Parliament on July 20 and nominations for the presidency will be called for on July 19.
This year, Sri Lanka has been suffering a severe economic crisis which has led to public protests.
(With AFP and PTI inputs)
