Indian envoy Gopal Baglay denies reports of deployment of troops in Sri Lanka

Colombo
Gopal Baglay, India’s High Commissioner of Sri Lanka on Friday has categorically denied reports of deployment of the Indian Army in an economic crisis-ridden island nation and said that it was a rumour floating around since April 1.
The rejection came in a virtual press conference of the Indian High Commissioner.
On being asked over the deployment of the Indian Army in Sri Lanka, Baglay called it a rumour floating around since April 1, adding that the Commission rejected the claim right away, “it should not be spread and that it is baseless”.
Sri Lanka is battling a severe economic crisis with food and fuel scarcity affecting a large number of the people in the island nation. The economy has been in a free-fall since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sri Lanka is also facing a foreign exchange shortage, which has, incidentally, affected its capacity to import food and fuel, leading to the power cuts in the country. The shortage of essential goods forced Sri Lanka to seek assistance from friendly countries.
Discussing the economic crisis and Indian assistance to the island nation, Baglay said, “Indian help to Sri Lanka is quite significant. At a crucial time, India stepped up its efforts, we have come to aid and assist, and we have come up to support our close friend. Sri Lanka is India’s closest maritime neighbour and is at the confluence of three important streams of India’s foreign policy which are Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, Neighbourhood First policy and the doctrine of SAGAR.
Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam is the phrase that finds its origin in the Maha Upanishad, essentially meaning “the world is family”. It has been used to broadly convey India’s ideal and liberal concept of global norms, themes of globalization, or global commons.