Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Sunday expressed concern over the detention of former Sri Lankan President Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and urged the government in Colombo to treat him with respect and dignity. Tharoor also urged Colombo to avoid "vindictive politics" in dealing with the matter.
"Concerned about the detention of former Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickramasinghe on what, on the face of it, seem trivial charges. His health issues have already seen him taken to the prison hospital. I call on the government of Sri Lanka -- while fully respecting that this is their internal matter -- to abjure the politics of vengeance and treat their former President with the respect and dignity that he deserves, after his decades of service to the nation," Tharoor said in a post on X.
Sri Lankan Journalist Terms Wickremesinghe's Arrest Ridiculous
Senior Sri Lankan journalist S. Venkata Narayana termed the arrest of former President Ranil Wickremesinghe as "ridiculous" and suggested that India could provide medical assistance to the 76-year-old leader if needed.
Speaking to ANI, Narayan said, "I think this is highly ridiculous because, as he said before he was taken in, he said, Hello, I never did anything for myself. I only worked for Sri Lanka. And you know the fact that they are arresting me shows what kind of administration Anura (President Anura Kumara Dissanayake) is heading at the moment," he added.
Why Was Wickremesinghe Arrested?
According to NewsWire Lanka, Wickremesinghe was detained on Friday on charges of misappropriation of government funds.
Reports indicate that his arrest is related to allegations that government funds were used to cover the expenses of a private trip to London, where he attended a university graduation ceremony. Investigators claim the trip was part of a larger foreign trip, but it was not an official government event.
Wickremesinghe Career
Six-time Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe became Sri Lanka's interim president after the removal of Gotabaya Rajapaksa in July 2022. He was defeated by National People's Power leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake in the September 2024 presidential elections.
