Hope India will continue to assist people and govt: Congress on Sri Lanka crisis

New Delhi, July 10: The Congress on Sunday expressed solidarity with Sri Lanka and its people in this moment of crisis while hoping that India will continue to assist the Island nation in dealing with the present situation.

The party's interim president 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, on behalf of the Congress party, urged 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.

On the other hand, Prime Minister 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.