Sri Lanka President Palace damaged, ransacked after mass influx [See Pics]

Colombo, July 15: The Presidential Palace in Sri Lanka has been vandalised, with broken and damaged furniture lying around and shards of glass scattered in places after it was stormed by protestors earlier this week.

"Sri Lankan Presidential Palace in Colombo lies ransacked, interiors & furniture damaged after it was stormed by protestors earlier this week," news agency ANI tweeted along with the photos of damaged furniture.

Demanding the resignation of now-resigned President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the protestors stormed the Palace and the dramatic visuals showed them cooking food, playing cards and taking a dip in the swimming pool.

As per ANI, the forensic teams have taken stock of damage inside the Sri Lankan Presidential Palace in Colombo after protestors completely dispersed from the premises.

Many protesters had refused to leave the Palace till Rajapaksa submits his resignation.

On Thursday, Gotabaya Rajapaksa sent his resignation letter through an email to Parliament Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardenaon which was accepted by him today.

Meanwhile, Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe is sworn in as the interim President on Friday. He has pledged to maintain law and order and revive the 19th Amendment to the Constitution aimed at empowering Parliament over the executive president as he was sworn in as Sri Lanka's interim president until the House elects a successor to Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

Rajapaksa's resignation came two days after the embattled leader fled to the Maldives and then flew to Singapore in the face of massive protests against his government for mishandling the economy that bankrupted the country.

Addressing Parliament after he was sworn in as interim President, Wickremesinghe pledged to strictly maintain law and order in the country which has witnessed massive anti-government protests and occupation of key government buildings.

He said that the armed forces have been given the powers and the freedom to deal with any acts of violence and sabotage. "I am one hundred per cent supportive of peaceful demonstrations. There is a difference between rioters and protesters," he said.

Wickremesinghe said the true protesters would not resort to unleashing violence. The parliamentarians who are expected to vote in the process of electing the next President would be given full protection to attend Parliament.

He said as acting President his first task would be to revive the 19th amendment to the Constitution. A draft would soon be prepared for its restoration.

The 19A adopted in 2015 pruned presidential powers by empowering Parliament above the executive president. Wickremesinghe was the main sponsor of the 19th Amendment in 2015. However, the 19A was scrapped after Gotabaya Rajapaksa won the November 2019 presidential election.