Colombo: A report from Sri Lanka suggests India’s RAW Colombo chief played a prominent role in the defeat of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, a charge which was denied by New Delhi.
Sri Lanka expelled the Colombo station chief of India’s spy agency accusing him of helping the Opposition oust Rajapaksa.
A Foreign Ministry spokesman, however, denied any expulsion and said transfers were routine decisions.
An unclear report in Sri Lanka’s Sunday Times newspaper on December 28 said that “links with the common Opposition” had cost India’s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) station chief his job in Colombo.
Rajapaksa, voted out of office in the January 8 election, said he did not know all the facts while the new government in Colombo said it is aware of the reports but cannot confirm them.
However, both Colombo and New Delhi said India was asked to bring the agent back in December for helping gather support for joint Opposition candidate Maithripala Sirisena after persuading him to ditch Rajapaksa’s cabinet.
An Indian official said the RAW agent was recalled after complaints he had worked with Sri Lanka’s Opposition parties to agree on a joint contender for the election. Then, he was accused of facilitating meetings to encourage several lawmakers, among them Sirisena, to defect from Rajapaksa’s party, the official said.
The agent was accused of playing a role in convincing the main leader of the Opposition Ranil Wickremasinghe not to contest against Rajapaksa in the election and stand aside for someone who could be sure of winning, said the officer and a Sri Lankan lawmaker who also maintains close contacts with India.
The agent was also in touch with former president Chandrika Kumaratunga, who was a key player in convincing Sirisena to stand, said the officer and the lawmaker, who also confirmed that the agent had been asked to leave.
Rajapaksa declined to confirm the involvement of India in the campaign against him.
“I don’t know, I won’t suspect anybody until I get my real facts,” he said at his party headquarters.
Sirisena, the new president, said he will visit New Delhi on his first foreign trip next month and said India is the “first, main concern” of his foreign policy.
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