Indian High Commission rejects sending troops to Sri Lanka; touts diplomatic measures

As the political crisis in Sri Lanka continues to escalate, the Indian High Commission in the island nation has categorically rejected the “speculative media reports” about New Delhi sending troops to Colombo. The remarks by Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka came as thousands of protesters stormed into President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's official home, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's private residence, which they later set ablaze. 

In a statement shared on Twitter, the Indian High Commission said, "The High Commission would like to categorically deny speculative reports in sections of media and social media about India sending her troops to Sri Lanka. These reports and such views are also not in keeping with the position of the Government of India”.

“The Spokesperson of Ministry of External Affairs of India clearly stated today that India stands with the people of Sri Lanka as they seek to realise their aspirations for prosperity & progress through democratic means & values, established institutions & constitutional framework,” it added. 

In Sri Lanka, though Rajapaksa and Wickremesinghe agreed to resign from their posts, the demonstrators continued to occupy the President’s official residence. In the images and videos that emerged from the incident, the demonstrators were even seen swimming in the pool inside the official residence in Colombo Fort. 

While Sri Lanka has been crippled by one of the worst economic crises since its independence, Sri Lankans have grown increasingly discontent with the Rajapaksa government. The residents have blamed the government for the financial woes in the country and since then, they have been demanding resignation from the lawmakers. On Saturday, the months-long protests witnessed a fresh escalation after the demonstrators broke into the official Sri Lankan President’s residence. 

‘India stands with people of Sri Lanka’: MEA

Meanwhile, as the situation unfolded in the neighbouring nation, the External Affairs Minister spokesperson Arindam Bagchi, in a statement, said, "We continue to follow closely the recent developments in Sri Lanka. India stands with the people of Sri Lanka as they seek to realise their aspirations for prosperity and progress through democratic means and values, established institutions and constitutional framework."

In a question about Sri Lanka, the MEA spokesperson noted that New Delhi and Colombo are close neighbours and both nations have deep civilizational links. Bagchi added, “We are aware of the many challenges that Sri Lanka and its people have been facing, and we have stood with the Sri Lankan people as they have tried to overcome this difficult period.”

Sri Lankan President fled on Saturday after three months of protesters occupying the entrance of his office for three months. Just last month, Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said that the country’s economy had collapsed. The government's negotiations with the International Monetary have been complex because it has now entered negotiations as a bankrupt state. But, Union Chemicals and Fertilisers Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Sunday noted that India has delivered at least 44,000 tonnes of urea to Sri Lanka for meeting the domestic requirements in the current and next sowing seasons.

Image: AP