Lanka crisis: Ruling party MP, PSO killed in violence
Colombo, May 9: A Sri Lankan parliamentarian of the ruling party of the Rajapakasas and his personal security officer were killed on Monday in clashes between anti- and pro-government protesters in the country.
Amarakeerthi Athukorala, a Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) MP from the Polonnaruwa district, was surrounded by anti-government groups at the north western town of Nittambuwa, the police said.
The people said that gunfire came from his SUV, and when the angry mobs toppled the car, he fled and took refuge in a building and committed suicide by pulling his own revolver.
By the time he killed himself, thousands of people had surrounded the building.
Later, the lawmaker and his personal security officer were found dead, the police said.
The whole country erupted in violence after mobs supporting Mahinda Rajapaksa, who resigned as the Prime Minister, attacked peaceful protesters.
The public turned their wrath on the pro-Rajapaksa supporters as they were leaving the capital back home.
Their vehicles were stopped and attacked in most towns.
Mahinda Rajapaksa, 76, resigned hours after his supporters attacked anti-government protesters outside President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's office, leaving at least 174 people injured and prompting authorities to impose a nationwide curfew and deploy army troops in the capital.
Sri Lanka is currently in the throes of unprecedented economic turmoil since its independence from Britain in 1948. The crisis is caused in part by a lack of foreign currency, which has meant that the country cannot afford to pay for imports of staple foods and fuel, leading to acute shortages and very high prices.
Thousands of demonstrators have hit the streets across Sri Lanka since April 9 seeking resignation of President Gotabaya and Prime Minister Mahinda, as the government ran out of money for vital imports; prices of essential commodities have skyrocketed and there are acute shortages in fuel, medicines and electricity supply.
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LPG shortage in country; 1 crore people to be unemployed: Kejriwal
New Delhi (PTI): AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday slammed the Centre for 'heavy LPG shortage' affecting people across the country and questioned the prime minister's "support" for Israel and the US.
The former Delhi chief minister said, "There is a chance that almost 1 crore people would be unemployed because of the power shortage situation emerging," he said.
"There is a heavy shortage of LPG in the country. The reason behind this is that 90 per cent of the LPG imported in India is from the Strait of Hormuz. Restaurants and hotels are facing shortages. In the next two days, 50 per cent of hotels are on the verge of shutdown, news is coming from Delhi NCR, Bihar," Kejriwal said.
Kejriwal accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of "demolishing" India's non-aligned foreign policy of several decades and making Iran our "enemy".
"PM Modi has made a mistake by demolishing India's non-aligned policy of 75 years. We should not have aligned with anyone. He stood by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a day before the war began. We have made Iran our enemy," Kejriwal said.
Even during the Cold War times, India was following the non-aligned foreign policy, the AAP leader said.
