Sri Lanka: PM Rajapaksa resigns amid his loyalists' rampage

Colombo: Amid raging unrest in Sri Lanka, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa resigned, following his supporters unleashing a riot on anti-government protestors in the island country on Monday. A ruling party MP got killed in the clashes, and many got hospitalised.

The parliament member, Amarakeerthi Athukorala, from the ruling party, fired and seriously wounded two people who blocked his car. He was later found dead in a building near the clash spot.

Agence France-Presse reported that Mahinda Rajapaksa wrote in his resignation letter to the President, and brother, Gotabaya Rajapaksa that he was resigning with immediate effect and the President could form an all-party government to guide the country out of its current crisis.

While the cabinet lie dissolved, the largest opposition party declined to join any government headed by one from the Rajapaksa family.

Monday's developments unfolded after supporters of the Rajapaksa family to the streets and attacked unarmed protestors.

The military was called to back the police to contain the situation. Until that day, soldiers were deployed to protect the deliveries of fuel and other essentials. Police initiated tear gas shells and water cannons and declared a curfew in the capital city and later extended all over the country.

Sri Lanka was going through a hard time for months with lengthy power outages, shortage of food, fuel, medicines etc. after the island nation was hit by the worst economic crisis since its independence. The situation had ignited widespread demonstrations against the government.