-By External Affairs Correspondent
(Lanka-e-News -17.Feb.2025, 10.30 PM) At the 8th Indian Ocean Summit, a senior Indian diplomat reportedly issued a direct warning to former Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe, cautioning him not to misuse India’s courtesy or attempt to undermine the NPP government using his alleged "connections" in Delhi.
According to reports, Ranil has been telling Sri Lankan politicians that he has a "green light" from India to mount pressure on the NPP government through various means. However, Indian authorities have now made it explicitly clear that they will not tolerate such behavior. Ranil’s so-called Indian backing has been exposed as nothing more than a bluff.
This diplomatic slap-down has left Ranil scrambling. For years, he has positioned himself as Sri Lanka’s "go-to man" for India, often exaggerating his level of influence in Delhi. Now, with this warning, it seems that his wings have been clipped, and he is desperately searching for a new foreign sponsor to maintain his dwindling political relevance.
Meanwhile, diplomatic circles in Colombo are well aware of Ranil’s long history of deception and political maneuvering. His self-proclaimed influence in global affairs has often been treated as a running joke among Colombo’s elite.
Ranil’s international credibility took another hit when he was publicly humiliated by journalist Mehdi Hasan during an episode of Al Jazeera’s Head to Head in London. The veteran journalist grilled Ranil on his alleged involvement in the infamous Batalanda torture chambers, leaving him visibly flustered and exposed.
For years, critics have accused Ranil of playing double games, cozying up to international powers while engaging in political backstabbing at home. This latest incident with India reinforces his reputation as a political opportunist whose influence is more fiction than fact.
One of the best-known jokes in Colombo’s political circles is the idea that Ranil has a "direct hotline" to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi—that Modi supposedly calls him every weekend for advice. In reality, Delhi has now publicly distanced itself from Ranil, leaving him politically stranded.
Some insiders even joke that the only calls happening in Ranil’s office are between him and his longtime aide Sagala Ratnayaka—with the running gag being that Ranil’s claims of high-level diplomatic calls only come when Sagala is busy undressing in front of him!
With his Delhi card revoked and his political credibility in tatters, Ranil now faces the harsh reality of his dwindling influence. Will he try to find a new "foreign ally" to prop up his political ambitions? Or will he finally accept that his time as Sri Lanka’s master political manipulator is over?
One thing is certain—Ranil can no longer use India as his personal diplomatic shield. And with his past coming back to haunt him, he may have nowhere left to run.
-By External Affairs Correspondent
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by (2025-02-17 16:58:05)
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