Sri Lanka should seek help from IMF and India to tide over the crisis: Farooq Abdullah

National Conference leader Dr Farooq Abdullah remarked that the situation in Sri Lanka is alarming. "We should extend a helping hand to this crisis-ridden country," he said.

Srinagar: National Conference leader Dr Farooq Abdullah, after attending the all party meeting on Tuesday, said that Sri Lanka didn't have any other option other than seeking help from financial institutions like International Monetary Fund (IMF) to tide over the present economic slowdown there. Besides, Abdullah said, "I am hopeful that India will take steps to bail out the country from the present economic mess."

He further remarked that the situation in Sri Lanka is alarming. "We should extend a helping hand to this crisis-ridden country," he said. The finance secretary further said that China's debt trap was the only concern for Sri Lanka. The economically bankrupt country has borrowed loans from various financial institutions and countries, he added.

Several Union ministers, including Central minister Prahalad Joshi, were present at the meeting held on Tuesday. Congress' P Chidambaram, Manickam Tagore, Sharad Pawar from NCP, TR Balu and MM Abdullah from DMK, AIADMK's M Thambi Durai, and Sugata from Trinamool Congress are some other eminent people present at the meeting.

Ritesh Pandey from BSP, Vijay Sai Reddy of YSR Congress and Vaiko of MDMK also attended the meeting. Speaking on the occasion, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said, "Sri Lanka has been facing a serious economic crisis and India is deeply worried over the situation prevailing there." Apart from this, he also shrugged off the possibility of any such situation arising in India.