BSS :
Sri Lanka’s top defence official on Wednesday ruled out a military takeover despite the island nation’s political deadlock and thousands of troops on the streets to keep order after two days of deadly mob violence.
Weeks of peaceful protests against a crippling economic crisis have boiled over after government loyalists attacked demonstrators demanding the country’s leaders resign.
A nationwide curfew is in effect and troops are patrolling streets with
instructions to shoot on sight anyone attacking property or committing acts of violence.
Footage of armoured personnel carriers moving around the streets of the capital Colombo have prompted accusations from opposition lawmakers and social media users that the country could be facing an imminent coup.
“When there is a dangerous situation in the country, powers are given to the military to deal with it,” Kamal Gunaratne, the secretary of Sri Lanka’s defence ministry, told a press conference in response to the claims.
“Don’t ever think that we are trying to capture power,” he added. “The military has no such intentions.” Gunaratne was a top field commander in the final battle that defeated Sri Lanka’s separatist Tamil Tigers movement in 2009, ending a decades-old civil war. His superior at the time was Gotabaya Rajapaksa, now serving as the nation’s president.
