Ancestral home of Sri Lanka’s Rajapaksas set on fire in Hambantota

Colombo, May 9 (PTI) The ancestral home of the Rajapaksas in Hambantota has been set on fire by a group of anti-government protestors, hours after Mahinda Rajapaksa, the patriarch of the powerful clan resigned in response to mounting demand for his ouster as Sri Lanka’s prime minister.

Video footage showed the entire house of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and his younger brother and President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in Medamulana in Hambantota city was burning away as protestors hooted away, the Daily Mirror reported. Earlier, several properties of ministers and lawmakers of the ruling coalition were destroyed by the protesters.

Sri Lankan media also reported that a fire has broke out near the back gate of Temple Trees, the official residence of the Sri Lankan Prime Minister here. Police water cannons have been called but anti-government protesters are attacking the vehicles, the report said. Protesters have also attacked the house of Badulla District parliamentarian Tissa Kuttiarachch and later set it on fire.

The house of Puttalam MP Santha Nishantha was completely destroyed due to an arson attack. The arson attacks came as the island was placed under curfew after violent clashes between Mahinda Rajapaksa supporters and anti-government protesters in Colombo. Three people were killed, including a ruling party MP, and more than 150 injured in violence in the capital.

There have been protests over soaring prices and power cuts since last month. Sri Lanka is facing its worst economic crisis since gaining independence from Britain in 1948.