Emergency in Sri Lanka, PM Ranil takes over as acting president

Sri Lanka on Wednesday declared a state of emergency  as massive protests engulfed Colombo after President Gotabaya Rajapaksa flew to the Maldives following months of protests against an economic crisis. "The prime minister, as acting president, has declared a state of emergency (countrywide) and imposed a curfew in the western province," the PM's media secretary, Dinouk Colombage, told news agency Reuters. According to reports, Sri Lankan police personnel were firing in the air to disperse protesters outside the PM's office as the agitation escalates after PM Ranil Wickremesinghe takes over as acting President. Meanwhile, protesters are using road furniture to prevent damage to themselves from tear gas shells. Security forces have begun aerial patrolling outside the PM's residence in Colombo.

Sri Lanka Air Force helicopter is flying low near Galle Face Protest site for the first time since protests began.

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The PM is still holed up in his house cum office. The Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka dismissed reports claiming that India had helped President Rajapaksa and his brother Basil flee.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe instructed the military and police, to do what is necessary to restore order, he said in a televised statement after protesters attacked his office. He added that the demonstrators want to stop him from discharging his responsibilities as acting president, but he can't allow fascists to take over. Protestors have breached the gates to the prime minister's office and are flooding the grounds,  BBC reports that the grounds are now completely overrun with joyous protesters, with crowds climbing on anything and everything they are able to get their hands on. Many are standing on balconies screaming with jubilation, after an hours-long standoff with armed police officers outside the gates of the compound.
On other hand, the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation (SLRC) and Independent Television Network (ITN) have suspended their live and recorded telecasts as the corporation premises is being surrounded by protesters. Officials say engineers shut the channel down as throngs of protesters entered the state television office. The economic crisis in the island-state of Sri Lanka that started in 2019, is the country's worst-ever since its independence in 1948. The crisis saw unprecedented levels of inflation, near-depletion of foreign exchange reserves, shortages of medical supplies, and an increase in prices of basic commodities.
The crisis is said to have begun due to multiple compounding factors like external debt, a nationwide policy to shift to organic or biological farming, tax cuts, Easter bombings in 2019, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. India has been helping Sri Lanka through humanitarian assistance worth over 3.5 billion dollars by providing food, medicines, and fuel through several lines of credit.