Writing in The Nation newspaper, Sri Lanka's Power and Energy Minister, Patali Champika Ranawaka, warned India that it had "dealt a killer blow to India-Sri Lanka relations", whilst attempting to protect "Tamil fascism and Western imperialism".
Ranawaka wrote,
"By voting against Sri Lanka, India has not only dealt a killer blow to India-Sri Lanka relations, but also to reconciliation efforts between Sinhalese and Tamils. This in turn is akin to committing an act of diplomatic hara-kiri, as both Tamil fascism and Western imperialism — which India is attempting to protect through its actions — are the real enemies of India."
The past few weeks have seen increasing anti-Indian sentiments in Sri Lanka, with mobs desecrating a statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Batticaloa on Friday, along with statues of Swami Vipulananda, Pulavarmani Periyathampipillai and Baden-Powell.
