Gotabaya Rajapaksa resigns as Sri Lanka President

New Delhi: Gotabaya Rajapaksa has resigned from the post of Sri Lanka’s President on Thursday. His resignation comes minutes after he landed in Singapore. “The Speaker of Sri Lanka’s Parliament has received President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s resignation letter,” Sri Lankan Speaker’s office confirmed. Fleeing Sri Lanka Rajapaksa landed in Singapore on Thursday after a day’s halt in the Maldives, where he fled protests triggered by an economic crisis. His escape to Male was negotiated by the Maldivian Majlis Parliament Speaker and former president Mohamed Nasheed. However, he is likely to have a short stay in Singapore as he has not been granted asylum in the country and has been allowed to enter on a private visit. As president, Rajapaksa held immunity from arrest, and it is being said that he wanted to go abroad before stepping down to avoid the possibility of being detained. Stern warning The development also comes after the Sri Lankan Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena warned Rajapaksa that if he did not resign as President as soon as possible, he will consider other options to remove him from the office. Mass protests There have been mass protests in Sri Lanka. At least 84 people were hospitalised when protesters clashed with the security forces at the prime minister’s office and at the main access junction to Parliament on Wednesday after Rajapaksa fled the country. The police fired tear gas and water cannons at the mob who were trying to break barriers and enter the restricted zone. The police spokesman Nihal Thalduwa said protesters had grabbed a T56 firearm and 60 bullets from a Sri Lanka Army soldier. A police complaint had been lodged, the police said. Sri Lankan authorities on Thursday also lifted the curfew, which was imposed in the Western province after the eruption of violence in the capital Colombo. Sri Lanka is going through a deepening political turmoil and economic crisis. A country with 22 million population, it has been witnessing one of its worst economic crisis in seven decades. People of the island nation are struggling to purchase basic amenities including food, medicines, fuel.   With input from agencies Read all the Latest News , Trending News , Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.