COLOMBO: Sri Lana Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa announced to step down from his post after violent clashes left at least 78 people injured on Monday amid the deepening economic crisis.
He tendered his resignation to his brother President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. With the resignation, his Cabinet stands dissolved.
For more than a month, protesters across the island nation had been demanding the resignation of the Rajapaksa family, blaming them for one of the worst economic crisis in Sri Lanka in last few decades.
Earlier on Monday, clashes between anti-government protesters and supporters left at least 78 people injured who were admitted to hospital in Colombo.
The government has imposed an indefinite curfew in the capital city in a bid to curb the protests.
Before announcing his resignation, Rajapaksa said he was ready to take any decision for the interest of the nation.
“While emotions are running high in #lka, I urge our general public to exercise restraint & remember that violence only begets violence. The economic crisis we’re in needs an economic solution which this administration is committed to resolving,” he tweeted.
Rajapaksa, who earlier served earlier as the President, said that he did not intend to “anarchize the country” for political purposes.