New Delhi: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has expressed concern about the arrest of former Sri Lankan president Ranil Wickremesinghe, calling on Colombo to “abjure the politics of vengeance” and treat their former president with dignity.
Tharoor posted on X that the alleged charges against Wickremesinghe “seem trivial” and expressed concern about his health. Wickremesinghe was admitted to hospital shortly after his arrest.
“Concerned about the detention of former Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe 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 posted.
Senior journalist S Venkat Narayan had earlier described the arrest of Wickremesinghe as “ridiculous.” He also suggested that if needed, India could extend medical help to the 76-year-old leader.
“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,” Narayan told ANI.
Wickremesinghe was arrested on Friday on allegations of state funds’ misuse, as reported by Newswire Lanka.
According to Newswire, his arrest is linked to allegations of using state funds to cover the expenses for a private visit to London, where he had attended a university graduation ceremony. It was further reported that investigators have claimed the trip, which was part of a wider overseas tour, was not an official engagement but was financed with government money.
Ranil Wickremesinghe, a six-time prime minister, assumed office as Sri Lanka’s interim president in July 2022 following Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s removal. He lost the Presidential Elections to Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the leader of National People’s Power, in September 2024.