Sri Lanka opposition leader urges PM Modi to help nation, amid economic crisis

Colombo [Sri Lanka], April 4 (ANI): Undergoing a huge economic crisis and turmoil, Sri Lankan Opposition leader and Member of Parliament (MP) Sajith Premadasa on Monday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to help their nation to the maximum possible extent.
Speaking to ANI, the Opposition leader said, "Please try and help Sri Lanka to the maximum possible extent. This is our motherland and we need to save it."
While responding to the parties' readiness to participate in an election, if it takes place, Premadasa said that he and his party are ready to contest the election.
"I can tell you, I myself and we all have been ready ever since we entered social service and political service. We are ready for any eventuality," he said.
Earlier, the Sri Lankan MP termed the Cabinet Ministers' resignation a melodrama. He said, "The melodrama is being enacted to fool the people of the country. There's no genuine effort to bring sanity to our society and relief to the people. It's an exercise to fool the people."
Reiterating opposition parties' demands, Premadasa said, "We're seeking immediate relief for the people. We want to protect the lives of the people and their rights."
Sri Lanka is battling a severe economic crisis with food and fuel scarcity affecting a large number of the people in the island nation. The economy has been in a free-fall since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sri Lanka is also facing a foreign exchange shortage, which has, incidentally, affected its capacity to import food and fuel, leading to the power cuts in the country. The shortage of essential goods forced Sri Lanka to seek assistance from friendly countries.
Premadasa said that the people in the country are asking for a change in the government to bring relief from the economic crisis.
"The whole country is calling for wholesale change. What we ask for is a pathbreaking wholesale change that brings relief to the country, not relief to politicians. We don't want a game of musical chairs where politicians exchange their positions," he added.
On Sunday, 26-member Sri Lankan Cabinet Ministers submitted resignations amid rising public anger against the government over the economic crisis.
Sri Lankan Cabinet Ministers have all signed a general letter, consenting to resign paving the way for a new Cabinet to be formed, the English language newspaper Daily Mirror reported.
Confirming this development, MP Dinesh Gunawardena said Mahinda Rajapaksa will continue to be in the office and all other members of the Cabinet have tendered their resignations to the PM, News Wire reported.
Meanwhile, the 36-hour long curfew that was imposed on Sri Lanka on Saturday evening at 6 pm was lifted on Monday morning at 6 am but the country is still under a state of emergency.
Sri Lanka is witnessing protests over the government's handling of the economic crisis.
Earlier on Saturday, India delivered 40,000 MT of diesel to Sri Lanka to help ease the power crisis in the island country. As part of the US 500 million oil line of credit (LoC) extended by India to Sri Lanka, this was the fourth consignment of fuel delivered to Colombo.
Further, India has supplied around 200,000 MT of fuel to the island nation over the last 50 days. (ANI)