India stands with Sri Lanka, closely following recent developments: MEA responds to 'closest' neighbour's crisis

Sri Lanka crisis: India on Sunday said that it stands with the people of Sri Lanka "as they seek to realise their aspirations for prosperity and progress".

In response to media queries on the situation in Sri Lanka, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, "We (the Indian government) 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."

"India is Sri Lanka's closest neighbour and our two countries share deep civilizational bonds," the MEA spokesperson said.

The Indian government said that it is aware of the "many challenges" that Sri Lanka and its people have been facing. "We have stood with the Sri Lankan people as they tried to overcome this difficult period," Bagchi said.

The government further informed that Sri Lanka the central place in India's Neighbourhood First Policy
and the country this year alone has extended "unprecedented" support of over $3.8 billion for "ameliorating the serious economic situation in Sri Lanka".

Our response to media queries on the situation in Sri Lanka:https://t.co/w2uUTPRUia pic.twitter.com/3AUKlJiRTZ

— Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) July 10, 2022

Meanwhile, protesters continue to to occupy Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's official residence in Colombo. They even claimed to have recovered millions of rupees inside his mansion.

Don't Miss: In economic-crisis hit Sri Lanka, protesters recover millions in cash at President Rajapaksa's mansion

On Saturday, hundreds of anti-government protesters stormed into Rajapaksa’s residence in central Colombo's high-security Fort area, breaking the barricades and demanded his resignation over the Sri Lanka's worst economic crisis in recent memory.

Another group of protesters entered the private residence of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and set it on fire.

The whereabouts of President Rajapaksa is still not known and his only communication outside since the protesters stormed into the city has been with the Parliament Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena.

The Speaker late on Saturday night had announced that Gotabaya Rajapaksa would resign from the post of Sri Lanka's President on 13 July.

Rajapaksa informed the Speaker about this decision to quit after Abeywardena wrote to him seeking his resignation following the all-party meeting of leaders held last evening.

The Speaker would become the acting President in the absence of both the President and the Prime Minister. Later, an election among MPs must happen to elect a new President. Prime Minister Wickremesinghe has also offered to resign.

Country of 22 million people, Sri Lanka is under the grip of an unprecedented economic turmoil, the worst in seven decades, crippled by an acute shortage of foreign exchange that has left it struggling to pay for essential imports of fuel, and other essentials.

Sri Lanka's total foreign debt stands at USD 51 billion.

With inputs from agencies

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