Fascists trying to take over government: acting Lanka President Wickremesinghe

in his first televised address since being appointed to the position, acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe stated that he had directed military commanders and the police chief to take necessary steps to restore order.

Acting Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe said on Wednesday that the country faced a fascist threat to democracy and vowed to restore normalcy and stop the destruction of state property, just hours after anti-government protesters stormed his office.

In his first televised address since being appointed to the position after embattled President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled to the Maldives, Wickremesinghe said that he had directed military commanders and the police chief to do whatever was necessary to restore order.

Stating that the destruction of state property will not be tolerated, Wickremesinghe said the fascist threat to democracy must be put to an end. He demanded that the President's office, Secretariat, and the Prime Minister's official residences be returned to proper custody.

Claiming that there were people in his office who wanted to prevent him from carrying out his duties as acting President, Wickremesinghe said those "fascists" cannot be allowed to destroy the country's Constitution. He further claimed that some mainstream politicians appeared to be siding with the "extremists, " which is why he had declared a nationwide emergency and imposed a curfew.

Wickremesinghe stated that he had directed military commanders and the police chief to take necessary steps to restore order.

After protesters stormed his office, he declared a state of emergency and imposed a curfew in the Western province as acting President.

According to intelligence reports, protesters were planning to seize his office and Parliament, prompting the action to declare an emergency.

Protesters have called for Rajapaksa's and Wickremesinghe's resignations to return the country to normalcy.