City
Epaper

'Signboards defaced to disrupt Gotabaya's India visit'

By IANS | Updated: November 26, 2019 15:20 IST

Ahead of newly-elected Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's upcoming visit to India, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa has directed that the vandalisation of Tamil language street signboards be probed immediately and those responsible be arrested.

Open in App

Prime Minister Rajapaksa has also ordered officials at the Prime Minister's Office to put up the signboards again. He has said that the vandalisation was aimed at creating a rift between the Tamil community and the interim government, and also to strain Sri Lanka-India ties.

Prime Minister Rajapaksa has told some of his confidantes that he believes the vandalisation of Tamil language signages was done by people to disrupt his brother and President Gotabaya's visit to India on November 29.

In a phone conversation with Senior DIG Ajith Rohana on Sunday night, Prime Minister Rajapaksa instructed that the matter be probed immediately and those behind it be booked.

Meanwhile, officials from the Police Media Division (PMD) said following Prime Minister Rajapaksa's orders, all top police officials across Sri Lanka have been asked to remain vigilant in areas where street name boards had been vandalised.

Officers had been instructed to scrutinise CCTV footage and identify those responsible. While investigations are underway, no arrests have been made so far, the Daily Mirror reported.

On the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Gotabaya is visiting India on November 29 on his first official visit after being elected to office.

The two leaders are expected to hold talks on wide-ranging issues during the visit deemed as a "fresh start" between the interim Sri Lankan government and the Indian government after ties were strained during the previous Mahinda Rajapaksa regime with allegations that it tilted towards China.

( With inputs from IANS )

Tags: Mahinda RajapaksaindiaSri LankaGotabaya
Open in App

Related Stories

NationalDonald Trump Imposes Additional 25% Tariff on India, Total Tariff Now 50%

TechnologyWill the Government Have to Offer More Incentives on EVs? NITI Aayog Raises Concerns Over Slow Sales Growth

OpinionsWhy is Trump So Upset with India?

MumbaiUniversity of Bristol Chooses Mumbai for Its First Overseas Campus, Set to Open in September 2026

NationalRaksha Bandhan 2025: Now You Can Send a Rakhi to Your Brother in India Post's Waterproof Envelope — Here's How to Track Your Parcel

International Realted Stories

InternationalSouth Korea: Govt discussing joint Seoul-Washington measures to build peace with North Korea

InternationalChina ramps up naval and Coast Guard operations in South China Sea to counter India-Philippines joint patrols

InternationalIsrael: Opposition criticises cabinet approval of Gaza City takeover

InternationalUS at risk of losing India as strategic partner in Indo-Pacific: Former senior Commerce Dept official

InternationalTrump certainly doesn't know what's happening in Asia and India: Jim Rogers on US tariffs