In the midst of the crisis in Sri Lanka, former PM Mahinda Rajapaksa had submitted his resignation, sparking protests in the country.
As the country remains embroiled in an economic crisis, former Sri Lanka Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa submitted his resignation from the top post on May 9. Soon after his resignation, certain rumours about him fleeing the country surfaced.
Many speculations arose that former PM Rajapaksa has fled to neighbouring country India along with his family soon after submitting his resignation. Taking note of these rumours, the Indian High Commission stepped in with a clarification.
The Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka on Tuesday (May 10, 2022) refuted the speculations of Rajapaksa and his family fleeing to India, saying that these claims by social media users and media reports were “fake and blatantly false.”
Issuing a statement, the High Commission wrote, “The High Commission has recently noticed rumours circulating in sections of media and social media that certain political persons and their families have fled to India. These are fake and blatantly false reports, devoid of any truth or substance. The High Commission strongly denies them.”
Mahinda Rajapaksa had resigned from the post of the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka on Monday; just hours after his supporters had attacked anti-government protestors in the country, sparking a series of violent clashes in the crisis-ridden country.
The former prime minister had reportedly left his office along with his family on early Tuesday morning, and his whereabouts are being speculated since then. There were also reports that he has taken refuge at a naval base in Sri Lanka after vacating his office.
Top civil authorities in Sri Lanka have also weighed in on the speculations of Rajapaksa fleeing the country. A high-ranking aviation officer wrote on social media that he was not involved in the "illegal transport and removal of any person or persons from Sri Lanka."
Though India has denied the reports that Rajapaksa has fleed to the country with his family, the Ministry of External Affairs said that they are “fully supportive” of Sri Lanka’s democracy, stability and economic recovery.
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 "Former Sri Lanka PM Mahinda Rajapaksa fled to India with family? High Commission clarifies")
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