Sri Lanka’s president Maithripala Sirisena told his cabinet of India’s involvement in an alleged assassination plot to murder him and former defence secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, reports EconomyNext.
“The president said that RAW (India’s external intelligence agency, Research and Analysis Wing) was behind the plot,” a minister, who declined to be named, said.
EconomyNext also reported that Sirisena was “visibly upset” as he addressed the cabinet and accused the United National Party of not taking his claims seriously.
Sri Lanka’s Criminal Investigation Department is currently investigating claims of an assassination plot, though Sirisena was noted not to have presented any evidence of India’s alleged involvement. “So far, what we have is the figment of someone’s imagination of an assassination plot,” the ministerial source told EconomyNext.
Sirisena’s claim comes as Sri Lankan prime minister and UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe prepares to fly to New Delhi this week, where he will meet with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
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