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India continues to engage with relevant stakeholders in Sri Lanka: MEA
The statement comes a day after the Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka dismissed "baseless" and "speculative" media reports that said that India had facilitated Rajapaksa's exit from the country.
India on Thursday once again said it was monitoring evolving situation in Sri Lanka and added that its ties with the island nation are historic and comprehensive, even as embattled President Gotabaya Rajapaksa sent his resignation letter through an email to Parliament Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardenaon.
“We are monitoring evolving situation in Sri Lanka… Our ties with Sri Lanka are historic and comprehensive and we continue to engage with all relevant stakeholders in that country,” MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said.
The statement comes a day after the Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka dismissed "baseless" and "speculative" media reports that said that India had facilitated Rajapaksa's exit from the country. According to reports, Gotabaya had fled the crisis-hit island country hours before he was scheduled to resign from the post.
“You would have seen comments that our high commission made. We have categorically denied having any role or facilitating his (Gotabaya Rajapaksa) departure or his travel from Sri Lanka. I am not in a position to guess where's he. I have seen media reports right now that he is in Singapore,” Bagchi added.
On Sunday, the MEA said that India stood with the people of Sri Lanka, "as they seek to realise their aspirations for prosperity and progress through democratic means and values, established institutions and constitutional framework".
Meanwhile, outgoing Rajapaksa landed in Singapore on Thursday after fleeing mass protests over his country's economic meltdown, as troops patrolled the commercial capital Colombo to enforce a curfew.
The Speaker said that he has received the resignation letter from Rajapaksa and his office was checking the legality of the letter, media reports said.
In an unusual move, Maldivian Majlis (Parliament) Speaker Mohamed Nasheed earlier announced that Sri Lankan President Rajapaksa has resigned.
It said this year, India has extended an unprecedented support of over $ 3.8 billion for "ameliorating the serious economic situation in Sri Lanka". "We continue to follow closely the recent developments in Sri Lanka," the ministry stated.
Rajapaksa, who fled to the Maldives on Wednesday to escape a popular uprising over his family's role in a crippling economic crisis, headed on to Singapore on a Saudi Arabian airline flight, according to a person familiar with the situation.
A passenger on the flight, who declined to be named, told news agency Reuters that Rajapaksa was met by a group of security guards and was seen leaving the airport VIP area in a convoy of black vehicles.
The flight landed at Singapore's Changi Airport at 7.17 pm local time (4.47 pm IST). Sri Lankan security sources say the president - who missed the Wednesday deadline to resign his post, leaving Sri Lanka facing further uncertainty - is expected to stay in Singapore for some time.
He might later move to the UAE, sources said.
A Singapore foreign ministry statement, meanwhile, has ruled out talk of asylum for Rajapaksa. The ministry said the Lankan president had entered the city-state for a private visit. "He has not asked for asylum and neither has he been granted any asylum. Singapore generally does not grant requests for asylum,” the ministry stressed.
