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.
Baripada: A newborn girl was found lying near a bush at Bhanra village under Karanjia…
Mumbai: Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan, the leading superstars of Bollywood, came from different…
Mumbai: Actor-filmmaker Dhanush took to his X handle on Friday to announce the release date…
Chennai: Odisha all but booked a berth in the knockout stage of the 14th Hockey…
Cuttack: Several traffic restrictions have been imposed to ensure smooth movement of devotees to Dhabaleswar…
Mumbai: Sidhu Moose Wala's parents Balkaur Singh and Charan Kaur shared a picture of their…
New York: A group of American women has launched an unprecedented protest against men who…
Bhubaneswar: Four more handicrafts were granted approval by the Odisha government, taking the total number…