India fully supportive of Sri Lanka's democracy, says MEA

India on Tuesday vowed its support for democracy and stability in Sri Lanka even as the island nation’s beleaguered President Gotabaya Rajapaksa gave emergency powers to the country’s military and police personnel to shoot at protesters looting public property or causing harm to others.

New Delhi was also quick to deny reports about Mahinda Rajapaksa fleeing to India with his family after resigning as prime minister of Sri Lanka on Monday amid widespread protest against the failure of the government to manage the economic crisis.

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India is fully supportive of “democracy, stability and economic recovery” in Sri Lanka, Arindam Bagchi, the spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), said in New Delhi.

Mahinda’s resignation could not pacify the protesters, who continued to demand the resignation of his brother Gotabaya from the office of the country’s President.

The incidents of attacks on former ministers and ruling party’s lawmakers continued, with protesters setting ablaze their houses and business establishments too. Mahinda’s residence at Kurunegala in the north-western province was also set on fire, although he and his family had shifted to a naval base shortly after resigning from the office of the prime minister.

After reports started circulating in sections of media and social media that Mahinda and his family had left Sri Lanka and travelled to India, New Delhi moved fast to deny such ‘rumours’. Without directly referring to the former prime minister and his kins, New Delhi’s mission in Colombo dismissed the rumours about “certain political persons and their families” fleeing Sri Lanka and taking refuge in India. “These are fake and blatantly false reports, devoid of any truth or substance. (The) High Commission (of India) strongly denies them,” it posted on Twitter.

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A source in New Delhi said that India had issued the denial hurriedly in order to dissociate itself from the Rajapaksa Clan, which had found itself at the receiving end of public ire in the wake of the economic crisis.

India invoked its historical ties with Sri Lanka.

“In keeping with our Neighbourhood First policy, India has extended this year alone support worth over $3.5 billion to the people of Sri Lanka for helping them overcome their current difficulties,” Bagchi said in New Delhi. “In addition, the people of India have provided assistance for mitigating the shortages of essential items such as food, medicine etc.”

He said that India would always be guided by the best interests of the people of Sri Lanka expressed through democratic processes.