Indian High Commission officials meet injured Director of Indian Visa Centre in Sri Lanka

Colombo [Sri Lanka], July 19 (ANI): Indian High Commission officials on Tuesday met Vivek Varma, an Indian national and Director of the Indian Visa Centre, who sustained grievous injuries in an unprovoked assault last night near Colombo.
“Officials of @IndiainSL met in the morning Mr. Vivek Varma, an Indian national and Director of Indian Visa Center, who sustained grievous injuries in an unprovoked assault last night near #Colombo. Matter brought to attention of authorities in #SriLanka,” tweeted the High Commission of India in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
“Relations between the people of India and Sri Lanka have always been cordial and friendly. 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,” added High Commission of India in Colombo.
Sri Lanka’s Acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Monday issued an Extraordinary Gazette declaring a State of Emergency in the island nation with effect from Monday, as the country grapples with social unrest and crippling economic crisis.
The gazette notification says, the public emergency in Sri Lanka has been declared in the interests of public security, the protection of public order and the maintenance of supplies and services essential to the life of the community, local media outlet Daily Mirror reported.
Amid the ongoing economic crisis in the country, a protest broke out in Colombo on Tuesday against acting president Ranil Wickremesinghe, demanding his resignation.
The protestors argued that Ranil Wickremesinghe didn’t come through a proper people’s mandate.
Sri Lankans protested outside the Colombo railway station. They arrived with Ranil’s effigy at Fort Railway Station in Colombo shouting anti-Ranil Slogans. They also wore headbands “Go Ranil Go Home” after “Go Gota Go home” slogans used for ex-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
“This acting President doesn’t have the people’s mandate. We are going to protest until he goes home, or rather, he resigns,” says a protester.
Gotabaya Rajapaksa resigned from the post of president last week following massive protests.
Sri Lanka’s acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe, parliamentarian of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) Dullas Alahapperuma, and National People’s Power (NPP) leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake were nominated for the post of president in parliament on Tuesday.
Members of parliament will meet on Wednesday morning and elect a new president for Sri Lanka.
Earlier on Tuesday, opposition leader Sajith Premadasa, who had earlier expressed his desire to contest for the post of president, announced that he would withdraw his presidential nomination.
He said his party Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) will support Alahapperuma in the vote for the next president of Sri Lanka.
The economy in Sri Lanka is bracing for a sharp contraction due to the unavailability of basic inputs for production, an 80 per cent depreciation of the currency since March 2022, coupled with lack of foreign reserves and the country’s failure to meet its international debt obligations. (ANI)