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Sri Lankan PM Mahinda Rajapaksa resigns amid economic crisis, four killed, including MP

Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa resigned from his post on Monday amid a severe economic crisis in Sri Lanka.

Colombo: Amid severe economic crisis in Sri Lanka, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa on Monday resigned from his post.

 Troops were deployed in the capital Colombo after Mahinda Rajapaksa supporters attacked protesters outside President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's office. At least 173 people have been injured in the violence. Four people, including an MP from the ruling party of the Rajapaksa brothers, were killed in clashes between government supporters and opponents in the country.

Mahinda Rajapaksa (76) sent his resignation to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Mahinda tweeted, "I submit my resignation to the President with immediate effect." In his resignation letter, Prime Minister Mahinda said he was stepping down to pave the way for the formation of an all-party interim government. "I would like to inform you that I have decided to resign from the post of Prime Minister with immediate effect," he wrote in his resignation letter. Want to form an interim government.

Mahinda said it was ready to make "any sacrifice" in the interest of the people. With the resignation of the Prime Minister, the cabinet was dissolved.

The demonstrations were being held to put pressure on the government led by Mahinda Rajapaksa's younger brother and President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to form an interim administration to deal with the ongoing economic crisis in the country.

Officials, meanwhile, extended the curfew imposed from 7pm on Monday to 7am on Wednesday. Army teams have been deployed at the protest site to help maintain law and order.

The defense secretary has called for public support for maintaining peace in the country, while three armed forces have been called in to help police for public safety. The leave of all the policemen has been canceled till further orders.

Violence erupted across the country after Mahinda Rajapaksa supporters attacked protesters. People were angry at the supporters returning from Rajapaksa to Rajapaksa.

Amarkirthi Atukorala, 57, an MP from Paramuna (SLPP) in Poduja, Sri Lanka, was surrounded by an anti-government group in the western town of Nittambua in Polonnaruwa district, police said.

Police said the MP was kicked out of his car and when an agitated mob pulled him out of the car, he fled and took refuge in a building. The MP and his personal security officer (PSO) were later found dead, police said.

Angry mobs have stormed the offices of former minister Johnson Fernando in Kurunegala and Colombo.

The residence of former Prime Minister Nimal Lanja was also attacked while the residence of Mayor Saman Lal Fernando was set on fire.

The residence of Mahinda Kahandagame, a labor leader of the ruling party in Colombo, was also attacked.

Sri Lanka is going through the most severe economic crisis since independence from Britain in 1948. The crisis was mainly due to the shortage of foreign exchange which meant that the country was unable to pay for imports of major food items and fuels.

Thousands of protesters have taken to the streets across Sri Lanka since April 9, as the government lacks funding for imports. The prices of essential commodities are skyrocketing.

Earlier on Monday, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa appealed to the people to exercise restraint. In a tweet, the president said, "I urge the general public to exercise restraint and remember that violence will only lead to violence. In an economic crisis, we need an economic solution, which this administration is committed to resolving."

Mahinda Rajapaksa also urged the people to exercise restraint.

According to the online news portal Daily Mirror, supporters of the prime minister stormed a rally on Friday, removing hundreds of protesters by truck. After which the situation became tense.

According to the Hiru News website, police used water cannons to disperse supporters of the Sri Lankan Poduja Paramuna (SLPP). According to leading news network Lanka First, the mob tore down the tents in front of the Temple Trees.

Opposition leader Samagi Jan Balvegaya Sajith Premdasa visited the protest site to assess the situation.

Opposition sources said that Premadasa and his associates were also attacked by a group as they arrived at the protest site of the Presidential Secretariat. The opposition accused Mahinda Rajapaksa of inciting his supporters.

According to the newspaper 'Colombo Page', hundreds of supporters of the Prime Minister were brought in buses, while others marched on the 'Temple Trees' in protest of the Prime Minister's call for his resignation.

Former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has condemned the attack on protesters.

Meanwhile, in the wake of the violence, SriLankan Airlines on Monday requested passengers to show their air tickets and passports at the checkpoint so that they could reach Bandar Naik International Airport (BIA).

"In Sri Lanka

Given the current situation, passengers departing from Colombo can show their air tickets and passports to security personnel at the checkpoint to reach the BIA, "SriLankan Airlines tweeted reassuring passengers, especially foreign passengers.

Significantly, in a special cabinet meeting on Friday, President Rajapaksa declared a state of emergency from midnight on Friday. This is the second time in almost a month that a state of emergency has been declared in Sri Lanka.