Sri Lanka in political deadlock post Mahinda Rajapaksa's resignation
Sources say Gotabaya is neither in a mood to resign nor give up his executive powers
In May 2009, Sri Lanka's strong man Mahinda Rajapaksa was celebrated as the most successful, victorious politician.
The majority Sinhalese distributed KiriBath (rice cake) in the streets. The Lankan lion flag was hoisted in every street as people hailed Mahinda.
Thirteen years later, on Monday, Mahinda Rajapaksa has turned to be the most unpopular prime minister in the country's history.
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who was one hailed as the war hero, is the most hated man in the island nation's history now.
Sri Lanka's history has repeated itself. This time as a tragedy for the Rajapaksa clan.
The tactics and political stunts by the Rajapaksa clan to stay in power and resolve the crisis have continuously failed since April, as the people were out on the streets protesting.
The protests hit historical heights when Mahinda was heckled by the people at Sri Lanka's Buddhist capital Anuradhapura.
His party legislator AmaraKeerthi Athukorala, reportedly, killed himself during a clash among the protesters demanding the resignation of the Rajapaksa clan.
Hours later, MP Sanath Nishantha's house was set on fire by a section of protesters, when he visited a Buddhist temple there.
It was here that Gotabaya Rajapaksa took oath as president in 2019, sending out a strong message that he is for the Buddhist nationalist ideology.
Irked by the protests and the worsening economic crisis, Mahinda had no other option but to resign. "I am prepared to make any sacrifice for the people," Mahinda told his supporters before stepping down.
Earlier in the morning, as news of his resignation began spreading, his supporters gathered at Temple Trees in Colombo, the official residence of the prime minister.
The protesters raised slogans in favour of Mahinda. Hours later, the supporters of Rajapaksa's Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) party walked to the Galle Face and began attacking the "Go Gota Gama" protesters or the anti-government protesters.
At least a dozen people were injured in the ensuing violence. The Go Gota Gama, however, was later reconstructed by the anti-government protesters at the Galle Face in front of the president secretariat.
