New Delhi/Chennai/ Colombo: With speculation rife that India had interfered in the Sri Lankan presidential election to the extent that the island nation reportedly asked for withdrawal of the Research and Analysis Wing chief in Colombo in December, in the run-up to the polls, the Indian government came out with an emphatic denial on Sunday through the external affairs ministry spokesman.
Reuters news agency put out a speculative report on the withdrawal of a 1981-batch Tamil Nadu cadre IPS officer from the Indian high commission, allegedly because of his role in helping the Opposition to find a consensus candidate to enable the ouster of then President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
The timing of the report was awkward for India as Sri Lanka foreign minister Mangala Samaraweera arrived on Sunday in New Delhi, where he was warmly received by external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj.
