Colombo: Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa has reportedly resigned amid growing public anger over the financial crisis. But the PM’s office denied the allegations. Late last night, Mahinda’s son and Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Namal Rajapaksa resigned. Subsequently, all the cabinet ministers resigned.
Rumors of Mahinda’s resignation came following news broke that Sri Lankan President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and his brother – in – law Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa had reached an agreement to form a national government comprising all political parties. Former minister Vimal Weerawansa had also said that the president was in favor of the national government. The Sri Lanka Freedom Party has written to the president urging him to leave the ruling coalition if the national government is not formed within a week.
The nationwide agitation announced by the opposition turned violent in some places. A total of 664 people were arrested for trying to rally in violation of curfew. Tear gas was used to quell student protests in Peradeniya. Student agitation in Kandy also turned violent. Opposition leaders led by Sajith Premadasa marched on MPs in Colombo.
Meanwhile, one of the protesters killed himself by climbing into a transformer in front of Gotabhaya’s residence in search of a solution to the power crisis. The Sri Lankans performed in Australia and New Zealand. Anuruddha Bandara, an admin of a social media group who was taken into police custody, has been released on bail.
Protest: Social media ban lifted
The government banned social media yesterday following declaring a state of emergency and curfew to curb popular protests, but lifted it 15 hours later. Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat and Tiktok were all banned yesterday morning in a bid to curb forgery. The ban was lifted following Namal Rajapaksa, the son of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and a minister, and other film stars came out once morest it.
English Summary: Sri Lanka’s PM Mahinda Rajapaksa may resign
