'Not in Keeping With GoI's Position': India Denies Sending Troops to Sri Lanka

"These reports are also not in keeping with the position of the Government of India," the commission said.

Sri Lankans demand the resignation of the government in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

(Photo: PTI)

The Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka on Wednesday, 10 May, "categorically denied" speculations surrounding New Delhi sending military personnel to Sri Lanka.

"The High Commission would like to categorically deny speculative reports in sections of media and social media about India sending her troops to Sri Lanka. These reports and such views are also not in keeping with the position of the Government of India."

Indian High Commission

"The Spokesperson of Ministry of External Affairs of India clearly stated yesterday that India is fully supportive of Sri Lanka's democracy, stability and economic recovery," the statement added.

This comes after the commission also denied speculations and rumours surrounding Sri Lankan political persons and their families fleeing to India as the country witnesses a devastating economic crisis.

"These are fake and blatantly false reports, devoid of any truth or substance," the commission had stated on Tuesday.

The Sri Lankan Crisis

Sri Lanka President Gotabaya declared a state of emergency in the country from 7 May onwards, giving security forces sweeping powers amid anti-government protests. This marked the second time in five weeks that an emergency was declared in the country.

The Sri Lankan government on Tuesday also gave its troops shoot-on-sight orders, soon after granting the military and police machinery emergency powers to arrest people without warrants.

The island nation has been going through an economic meltdown of a scale unseen since the country's financial crisis of 1948. Prices of essential commodities like rice, milk, and oil have skyrocketed, resulting in massive nationwide protests and political instability.