Sri Lanka Crisis: 120 Lanka-Bound Flights Land In Kerala, Aviation Minister Scindia Lauds Move

Taking to Twitter, Union Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said the airports have gone beyond the call of duty by allowing technical landing to 120+ aircraft bound for Sri Lanka.

Thiruvananthapuram: Amid rising protests in Sri Lanka, Indian Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Wednesday applauded Trivandrum and Kochi airport for going out of their way to help the crisis-hit nation at this critical time. Taking to Twitter, Scindia said the airports have gone beyond the call of duty by allowing technical landing to 120+ aircraft bound for Sri Lanka.

“The airports have gone beyond their call of duty by allowing technical landing to 120+ aircraft bound for Sri Lanka. The gesture will go a long way in furthering ties with our neighbour,” Scindia said in a tweet.

Kudos Trivandrum & Kochi airports for demonstrating the Indian spirit of वसुधैव कुटुम्बकम्!

The airports have gone beyond their call of duty by allowing technical landing to 120+ aircraft bound for Sri Lanka. The gesture will go a long way in furthering ties with our neighbour.

— Jyotiraditya M. Scindia (@JM_Scindia) July 13, 2022

Earlier in the day, Sri Lanka declared a state of emergency after President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled to the Maldives.

In the wake of the latest developments, India said the situation in Sri Lanka is sensitive and they are focusing on ways to help the island nation in all possible ways.

For many months now, Sri Lanka has been suffering fuel shortages, which led to hours of daily power cuts. At present, Sri Lanka is struggling with acute food and electricity shortages, forcing the country to seek help from neighbouring countries.

From the Maldives, 73-year-old Rajapaksa appointed Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as the acting President, citing Article 37(1) of the Constitution that allows a premier to “discharge the powers, duties and functions of the office of president” when the president is ill or “absent” from the country.

Parliament Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena announced that President Rajapaksa has appointed Prime Minister Wickremesinghe to act to perform his functions while he is abroad. Abeywardena also said that President Rajapaksa has informed him over telephone that he will resign today as promised. He said the vote for the new president will take place on July 20.

Earlier in the day, Wickremesinghe declared a state of emergency in the country and a curfew in the Western province has been imposed as protesters gathered near his office at Flower Road in Colombo.

“I am now imposing a State of Emergency and a Curfew,” he said in a special televised statement adding that threats by fascists must be countered.

Last week, Rajapaksa had announced to step down after thousands of protesters stormed his official residence, blaming him for the unprecedented economic crisis that has brought the country to its knees. He arrived in the capital of the Maldives, Male, at around 03:00 local time (22:00 GMT), BBC reported.

However, the Maldives government has not yet officially commented on his presence in the island nation.