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  India   All India  18 Oct 2018  Sri Lanka Prez Sirisena calls Modi, denies accusing RAW of ‘kill’ plot

Sri Lanka Prez Sirisena calls Modi, denies accusing RAW of ‘kill’ plot

THE ASIAN AGE.
Published : Oct 18, 2018, 1:12 am IST
Updated : Oct 18, 2018, 5:15 am IST

Sri Lanka says media reports that Sirisena had blamed RAW of plotting to assassinate him were ‘utterly false and mischievous’.

Sri Lanka Maithripala Sirisena (Photo: AP)
 Sri Lanka Maithripala Sirisena (Photo: AP)

New Delhi: Sri Lanka on Wednesday denied Colombo media reports that President Maithripala Sirisena had accused an Indian intelligence agency of being involved in a plot to assassinate him, with President Sirisena calling up Prime Minister Narendra Modi to personally deny these reports. President Sirisena told Mr Modi that the “mischievous and mala fide reports were utterly baseless and false, and seemed intended to create a misunderstanding between the two leaders as well as damage the cordial relations between the two friendly neighbours”. Speculation is rife in Sri Lanka of a turf war between its President and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, who incidentally will begin a three-day visit to New Delhi on Thursday.

The external affairs ministry in New Delhi said President Sirisena also told Mr Modi in the telephone call that he regards Mr Modi as a “true friend of Sri Lanka, as also a close personal friend”, emphasising that he “greatly valued the mutually beneficial ties between India and Sri Lanka, and remained steadfast to work with the Prime Minister for further strengthening them”. It said Mr Modi “appreciated the prompt steps taken by the (Sri Lankan) President and his government to firmly refute the malicious reports by publicly clarifying matters”.

But what President Sirisena initially said has become the subject of much speculation in Sri Lanka. Interestingly, the denial of the media reports by the Sri Lankan foreign ministry said President Sirisena’s remarks had been taken “out of context”. According to some media reports from Sri Lanka, Cabinet spokesman and minister Rajitha Senaratne said President Sirisena did not say the (Indian) Research and Analysis Wing was allegedly involved in a plot to assassinate him and the President at the Cabinet meeting had actually said attempts were being made to implicate RAW in the alleged plot to assassinate him and damage India-Sri Lanka bilateral ties.

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe will, incidentally, hold talks with Mr Modi and external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj on Saturday, in which the entire gamut of India-Sri Lankan ties will be discussed.

In a detailed statement, the Sri Lankan foreign ministry said: “The attention of the ministry of foreign affairs has been drawn to media reports attributed to President Maithripala Sirisena alleging the involvement of an Indian intelligence service in a plot to assassinate him. The ministry wishes to clarify that the media reports in this connection are baseless and false. The ministry wishes to emphasise that relations between Sri Lanka and India, including at the highest levels of government, are strong, encompassing multiple spheres, including intelligence-sharing.”

In New Delhi, the MEA said: “The President of Sri Lanka, Maithripala Sirisena, called Prime Minister Modi on telephone today. The President of Sri Lanka stated that he categorically rejected the reports in sections of the media about him alluding to the involvement of India in any manner whatsoever in an alleged plot to assassinate the President and a former defence secretary of Sri Lanka. He mentioned that the mischievous and mala fide reports were utterly baseless and false, and seemed intended to create misunderstanding between the two leaders as well as damage the cordial relations between the two friendly neighbours.”

Tags: maithripala sirisena, narendra modi
Location: India, Delhi, New Delhi