Lanka state-owned TV goes off air as protesters storm building
Colombo(PTI): Sri Lanka's state-owned television channel Rupavahini suspended its telecast on Wednesday as protesters stormed the building, amidst the deepening political turmoil and economic crisis in the crisis-hit country.
The Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation (SLRC) said that its engineers have suspended their live and recorded telecasts as the corporation premises are being surrounded by protesters.
SLRC official said that a group of protestors who had entered the premises had demanded that they run only news related to anti-government protests' and entertainment programmes, Newswire Lanka reported.
The protesters had been provided some 15 minutes to convey their side of the story to the viewers, after which the channel suspended transmission.
Later, the channel resumed its transmission. Also, a second Sri Lankan state television channel went off air, less than an hour after Rupavahini suspended its operations.
Meanwhile, the anti-government protesters, who are demanding the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, have ripped open the gates to the PM office.
The Police fired tear gas on protesters who broke through a barricade and stormed the prime minister's office. Prime Minister Wickremesinghe has already said he was willing to resign and make way for an all-party government to take over.
He has ordered the security forces to arrest people acting in a riotous manner.
The protesters, who stormed the three main buildings in the capital, the President's House, the presidential secretariat and the prime minister's official residence, Temple Trees on Saturday, demanding the resignation of President Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Wickremesinghe, are still occupying them.
Sri Lanka, a country of 22 million people, is under the grip of an unprecedented economic turmoil, the worst in seven decades, leaving millions struggling to buy food, medicine, fuel and other essentials.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Integrity of electoral process severely compromised, Cong to soon launch movement: CWC
New Delhi (PTI): The Congress Working Committee met here on Friday and adopted a resolution alleging the integrity of the entire electoral process was being severely compromised against which the party would soon launch a movement.
In the resolution of the top body of the Congress, the party said free and fair elections is a Constitutional mandate that was being called into "serious question by the partisan functioning of the Election Commission".
The CWC, which met amid the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament, said the session has been a washout so far because of the Narendra Modi government's "stubborn refusal" to have an immediate discussion on three pressing national issues -- "the recent revelations regarding corruption by a business group, and the violence in Manipur and Uttar Pradesh's Sambhal".
Asked why the Congress Working Committee (CWC) resolution does not name the business group, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said, "The answer is the Adani group".
"The CWC believes the integrity of the entire electoral process is being severely compromised. Free and fair elections is a Constitutional mandate that is being called into serious question by the partisan functioning of the Election Commission.
"Increasing sections of society are becoming frustrated and deeply apprehensive. The Congress will take these up these public concerns as a national movement," the resolution stated.
Addressing a joint press conference along with Ramesh and Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera, party general secretary, organisation, K C Venugopal said the party discussed the political situation in the country for four-and-half hours and adopted the resolution.
He said the CWC has decided to constitute internal committees to look into electoral performance and organisational matters.
About the Assembly polls results in Maharashtra, Venugopal said the electoral outcome in the state was "beyond normal understanding and it appears to be a clear case of targeted manipulation".
