Sri Lanka crisis: Indian official injured; High Commission urges citizens to plan movements safely

The Indian High Commission in Colombo announced on Tuesday that a senior Indian government official stationed in Sri Lanka had suffered serious injuries as a result of an unprovoked attack and urged its citizens to keep up with the most recent events on the island nation and make travel and other plans accordingly.

Due to the country's unprecedented economic crisis and subsequent political turbulence, Sri Lanka is currently experiencing widespread unrest. An emergency was declared on Monday by acting president Ranil Wickremesinghe in advance of the crucial presidential election on Wednesday.

The Indian High Commission, in a tweet, said the relations between the people of India and Sri Lanka have always been cordial and friendly. 

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"In the current situation, #Indian nationals in #SriLanka are requested to remain aware of latest developments and accordingly plan their movements and activities. You may contact us when required," it said. 

In another tweet, the High Commission said its officials in the morning met "Vivek Varma, an Indian national and Director of Indian Visa Centre, who sustained grievous injuries in an unprovoked assault last night near Colombo". 

It said the matter had been brought to the attention of the Sri Lankan authorities. 

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled to the Maldives and then to Singapore, where he resigned in the face of public outcry over his administration's mismanagement of the nation's economy. Wickremesinghe, sworn in as acting president on Friday, imposed the emergency as protests demanding his resignation continued in most parts of the nation.

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Wickremesinghe, who is running for office, has backed declaring an emergency, claiming that it was necessary in Sri Lanka for the preservation of supplies and services vital to community life as well as public security and the protection of the public order. Before Wednesday's presidential election, he asked the security forces to prevent armed anti-government demonstrations.

(With inputs from  PTI)

• Sri Lanka
• India
• Sri Lankan Crisis
• Colombo