Handed A RAW Deal? Sri Lankan President Sirisena Alleges Indian Intelligence Agency’s Plot To Assassinate Him

President of Sri Lanka Maithripala Sirisena on Tuesday (16 October) accused India’s foreign intelligence agency, Research & Analysis Wing (RAW), of plotting to assassinate him.

According to a report in The Hindu, the Sri Lankan President told ministers in a weekly meeting that the Indian intelligence agency was “trying to kill” him but that “Prime Minister Narendra Modi may not be aware of this plan.”

Sirisena’s claim comes just days before Ranil Wickremesinghe, the Sri Lankan PM, is scheduled to visit India. Sources say that the officials were shocked by the allegations made by the President and “will verify this and revert”.

Reports about the said plot floated last month when a person who was part of an anti-corruption outfit claimed that he was aware of a plot to assassinate Sirisena and former defence secretary Gotabaya Rajpaksha. Police interrogated him and subsequently arrested an Indian national who, according to a local media report, claimed he knew of the plot.

The Sri Lankan government, however, had slammed the reports calling them “disinformation campaign”.

In the meeting, according to the report, Sirisena’s allegation came when he was raising concern about the indifference Sri Lankan government was showing towards the assassination plot aimed at him.

Mr Sirisena reportedly said “the Indian national must be a RAW agent trying to kill me. The Indian PM may not be aware. That is often the case. Trump may not be aware of CIA’s similar moves.”