Crisis-Hit Sri Lanka To Be Shut Down For 36 Hours

Colombo: The under-fire Sri Lankan government on Saturday announced a 36-hour nationwide curfew, a day after President Gotabaya Rajapaksa invoked a state of emergency.

Troops with sweeping powers were deployed to quell protests against the President, his relatives and his most trusted shaman, AFP reported.

Police authorities said the lockdown, to be effective from dusk on Saturday, will be lifted on Monday morning. The curfew covers the period when mass anti-government protests against worsening shortages of fuel, food and medicines have been planned.

Also Read: Sri Lanka Turns Off Street Lights; Know Why

On Saturday, a mob made a violent attempt to storm the President’s house. Their target was mainly Gnana Akka, a female shaman who is frequently consulted by Rajapaksa.

Rajapaksa’s opponents have said he is protecting the shaman, who has been labelled a ‘thief’.

#GoHomeRajapaksas and #GotaGoHome have been trending for several days on Twitter and Facebook in near-bankrupt Sri Lanka, which is battling severe shortage of essentials, sharp price rises and crippling power cuts.