India supports the realisation of aspirations of the people of Sri Lanka in accordance with democratic means and values, the Sri Lanka-based Indian High Commission said

India has taken a strong exception to “baseless and purely speculative media reports” on its alleged role in the political outcome of the presidential election in Sri Lanka on Wednesday.

“We have seen baseless and purely speculative media reports about efforts at the political level from India to influence political leaders in Sri Lanka regarding elections in the Sri Lankan Parliament to the post of the President of Sri Lanka,” the Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka said in a tweet.

Terming media reports “completely false,” the Indian High Commission further said: “They are clearly a figment of someone’s imagination. It is reiterated that India supports the realization of aspirations of the people of Sri Lanka in accordance with democratic means and values.”

It also emphasized that India has never interfered in internal affairs and democratic processes of any other country.

The statement came forth just before Sri Lankan parliament formally elected Ranil Wickremesinghe as the new president.

On Tuesday, speaking to media persons after the all-party meeting on the situation in Sri Lanka, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar categorically denied that India had “facilitated” former Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s exit from the island country to the Maldives and then to Singapore.

He also said no other country has supported Sri Lanka as India has in terms of food, fuel, medicines and other essentials.