New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has clarified that India did not help Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to flee from the country. Rajapaksa, who had fled to the Maldives amid protests in crisis-hit Sri Lanka, on Thursday arrived in Singapore in a Saudia airline plane. Shortly afterwards, he resigned as president via an email sent to the parliament speaker.
Addressing a weekly media briefing, MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, "You would have seen comments that our High Commission made. We have categorically denied having any role or facilitating his (Gotabaya Rajapaksa) departure or his travel from Sri Lanka. I'm not in a position to guess where's he. I have seen media reports right now that he's in Singapore".
Also read: Sri Lanka crisis: President Rajapaksa emails his resignation from Singapore
"We will continue to stand with the people of Sri Lanka, and their aspirations through democratic means and a constitutional framework," he said. Earlier, the Indian High Commission in Colombo categorically denied baseless and speculative media reports that India facilitated the recently reported travel of Rajapaksa out of Sri Lanka.
Reiterating its support to the people of Sri Lanka, the High Commission smashed a foreign propaganda report which claimed India's role in facilitating Rajapaksa's travel to the Maldives amid the ongoing crisis in the country. Meanwhile, Singapore Foreign Ministry confirmed that Rajapaksa has been allowed entry to Singapore on a private visit and he has not asked for asylum nor has he been granted asylum.
