Hope India will continue to assist people and government of Sri Lanka: Congress

NEW DELHI: The Congress on Sunday expressed solidarity with Sri Lanka and its people in this moment of crisis and hoped that India will continue to assist the neighbouring country in dealing with the current situation.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi in a message said the Indian National Congress has been following with concern the evolving political situation in Sri Lanka.

She said the economic challenges, rising prices and shortage of food, fuel and essential commodities have caused enormous hardships and distress among the people there.

"The Congress party expresses its solidarity with Sri Lanka and its people in this moment of grave crisis and hopes they will be able to overcome it," Gandhi said in a statement.

"We hope that India will continue to assist the people and government of Sri Lanka as they deal with the difficulties of the current situation," she also said.

Gandhi said the Congress party also urges the international community to extend all assistance and support to Sri Lanka.

Anti-government protesters in Sri Lanka on Sunday continued to occupy the residences of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, a day after they stormed into the premises and set on fire one of the buildings protesting over the nation's severe economic crisis even as the island nation is still in the dark about the embattled President's whereabouts.

Wickremesinghe on Saturday offered to resign and form an all-party government, hours after thousands of protesters stormed the official residence of President Rajapaksa who appears to have gone underground in the face of massive public anger over an unprecedented economic crisis that has brought Sri Lanka to its knees.

In remarkable scenes, hinting at a society in a meltdown, anti-government protesters were seen occupying a bedroom, sitting on a four poster bed, helping themselves to food in the kitchen and splashing in a swimming pool in Gotabaya's residence.