New Delhi: Sri Lanka has declared a state of emergency after President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country, said local media reports. Military personnel uses tear gas shells to disperse protestors who scaled the wall to enter Sri Lankan Prime Minister’s residence in Colombo.
Prime Minister’s spokesman Dinouk Colombage told the media, “Since the president is out of the country, an emergency has been declared to deal with the situation in the country,”
Sri Lankan Air Force Media Director in a statement said, “Sri Lankan President, the first lady along with two bodyguards were subjected to full approval by Ministry of Defense for immigration, customs and other laws to fly to the Maldives. Air Force aircraft was provided to them in the early morning of July 13.”
Rajapaksa had signed his resignation on July 11, and the letter was submitted to the Speaker on Wednesday. However, the Speaker has confirmed that he is yet to receive the President’s resignation.
According to a media report, Rajapaksa is likely to send his resignation letter only after reaching his final destination on Wednesday evening. Sri Lanka is under the grip of an unprecedented economic turmoil, the worst in seven decades, leaving millions struggling to buy food, medicine, fuel, and other essentials.
(Vinayak)