Lanka crisis: India commits more aid, protesters enjoy royalty at Prez, PM homes | Top points

EAM S Jaishankar said India's $-3.8 billion commitment is part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's neighbourhood first policy where the government makes special efforts to try and support the country's neighbours in a manner that meets their requirements.

As the months-long turmoil in Sri Lanka took a dramatic turn with the island nation's president and prime minister offering to resign, protesters stormed the leaders’ homes in a rage and made good use of the sprawling residences and offices. India said it has committed to $3.8 billion to support Lanka amid the economic crisis and is keeping a watch on the developments unfolding in the neighbouring nation.

A man stands in the swimming pool as people visit the President's house in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Sunday. (REUTERS)

Here are some of the top developments of the day in the crisis-hit nation:

- External affairs minister S Jaishankar said India's $-3.8 billion commitment is part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's neighbourhood first policy where the government makes special efforts to try and support the country's neighbours in a manner that meets their requirements.

- "In the case of Sri Lanka, we have given them a line of credit which has kept essential commodities flowing to them from India over the last several months. We also gave them a line of credit for purchase of fuel. At the moment, our focus is on helping them recover. "This year alone, we have committed around 3.8 billion (US) dollars to them in terms of supporting them. We have been their biggest supporter. It is one of the reasons why they have been able to prevent the situation from becoming worse," the minister said.

- Jaishankar said there were no security concerns for India over the political unrest in Sri Lanka as the people there, and the world over, have appreciated what we have done for them. "The answers to Sri Lanka's problems are in Sri Lanka itself," he added. The Union minister also said there was no refugee crisis as of now. "I do not think we can call it a crisis. Occasionally, some people have come from there, but right now I do not think there is any justification for calling it a refugee crisis," he said.

- Sri Lanka's opposition parties met to agree on a new government a day President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe offered to resign.

- Ranjith Madduma Bandara, a top official in the main Opposition United People's Force, said separate discussions were held with other parties and lawmakers who broke away from Rajapaksa's ruling coalition and more meetings were planned.

- Protesters remained in Rajapaksa’s residence, his seaside office and the prime minister’s home, saying they would stay until the resignations are official. The president's whereabouts were unknown, but a statement from his office said he ordered the immediate distribution of a cooking gas consignment to the public, suggesting that he was still at work.

- Soldiers were deployed around the city and the chief of defense staff, Shavendra Silva, appealed to people to maintain law and order. But troops simply watched from afar as crowds of people splashed in the garden pool of Rajapaksa’s sprawling residence, lounged on beds and took selfies of themselves on their cellphones to capture the moment.