Shashi Tharoor expresses concern on Ranil Wickremesinghe's arrest, calls on Colombo to "abjure" politics of vengeance

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Sunday expressed concern about the arrest of former Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickramasinghe and called on Colombo to "abjure the politics of vengeance" and treat their former President with dignity.

In a post on X, Tharoor stated that the alleged charges against Ranil Wickramasinghe "seem trivial" and expressed concern about the health of the former Sri Lankan President, who was admitted to the hospital shortly after the arrest.

"Concerned about the detention of former Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickramasinghe on what, on the face of it, seem trivial charges. His health issues have already seen him taken to the prison hospital. I call on the government of Sri Lanka -- while fully respecting that this is their internal matter, to abjure the politics of vengeance and treat their former President with the respect and dignity that he deserves, after his decades of service to the nation," Shashi Tharoor said.


Earlier, senior Sri Lankan journalist S Venkat Narayan had described the arrest of the former Sri Lankan President as "ridiculous." He also suggested that if needed, India could extend medical help to the 76-year-old leader.

Speaking to ANI, Narayan said, "I think this is highly ridiculous because, as he said before he was taken in, he said, hello, I never did anything for myself. I only worked for Sri Lanka. And you know the fact that they are arresting me shows what kind of administration Anura (President Anura Kumara Dissanayake) is heading at the moment," he added.

Ranil Wickremesinghe was arrested on Friday on allegations of state funds' misuse, as reported by Newswire Lanka.

As per Newswire, his arrest is linked to allegations of using state funds to cover the expenses for a private visit to London, where he had attended a university graduation ceremony.

It was further reported that the investigators claim the trip, which formed part of a wider overseas tour, was not an official engagement but was financed with government money.

Ranil Wickremesinghe, a six-time prime minister, assumed office as Sri Lanka's interim president in July 2022 following Gotabaya Rajapaksa's removal. He lost the Presidential Elections to Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the leader of National People's Power, in September 2024.