The Indian High Commission in Colombo in a tweet on Tuesday said that reports of Sri Lankan lawmakers and their families fleeing to India for refuge are false.
“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,” the Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka said via a tweet.
Violence and unrest continued in several Sri Lankan cities after prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa stepped down. The resignation increases the pressure on president Gotabaya Rajapaksa who is facing calls from protesters to tender his resignation and step down from his role immediately.
The protesters are also angered after reports surfaced that many MPs from the ruling party are leaving the nation. Protesters on Tuesday used vehicles to block the entrance to Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB) in order to prevent MPs from leaving.
Sri Lankan police also issued shoot-at-sight orders after violence escalated. The security forces and cops in Colombo rescued the former prime minister from the Temple Trees area in Colombo and took them to Trincomalee Naval Base fearing for their safety.
Protesters, however, received reports and carried out demonstrations outside the naval base.
Sri Lanka will remain under a curfew till Thursday and more than six people have died due to the clashes, with over 225 injured.
Protesters continue to target homes and other properties of the ruling party MPs. They also were angered with the police and attacked senior deputy inspector general Deshabandu Tennakoon. Tennakoon was rescued from the wrath of the mob after police fired warning shots and sent in reinforcements.
Meanwhile, another ruling party MP shot dead two protesters and injured five others outside Colombo. This is the second incident in the past three days where a lawmaker killed protesters. Earlier on Monday, lawmaker Amarakeerthi Athukorala shot two people – killing one of them – after he was gheraoed by protesters. Athukorala later died by suicide after he shot himself to death.
The UN, India, the UK, US and the EU have expressed their concern and have urged all sides to restrain from violence and destroying public property.
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