The Sri Lankan government declared a state of emergency in the island nation as thousands of protesters took to the streets of capital Colombo demanding Gotabaya Rajapaksa's immediate resignation as news emerged that the President fled to the Maldives.

• 120 Lanka-bound planes land in Kerala amid unrest in island nation, Jyotiraditya Scindia applauds airports, reports ndtv.com
• Acting Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe says fascists trying to take over government, reports PTI
• Wickremesinghe orders Sri Lankan military and police to do what is necessary to restore order, reports PTI
• Sri Lanka Speaker says new president will be elected on July 20, reports NewsWire from Colombo
• Sri Lanka Parliament Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena said that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa will send his resignation later in the day as promised, reports PTI
• An indefinite curfew has been imposed across the Western Province, including Colombo, to contain the escalating protests, reports ndtv.com
• Sri Lankan PM Ranil Wickremesinghe takes over as acting president, reports Hindustan Times

Security forces were seen using teargas shells and water cannons to disperse the crowd.

The anti-government protesters said they would be marching to Parliament and continue their agitation until the President steps down, reports NDTV. They have also demanded Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's resignation.

Gotabaya fled to the Maldives on Wednesday on a military jet, hours before he was supposed to step down in the face of a public revolt against him and his family for mishandling the economy that has bankrupted the country, according to PTI.

The 73-year-old leader left the country along with his wife and two security officers on a military jet, a brief statement from the Sri Lanka Air Force said.

"On government request and in terms of powers available to a President under the Constitution, with complete approval from the ministry of defence, the President, his wife and two security officials were provided a Sri Lanka Air Force plane to depart from the Katunayake international airport for the Maldives in the early hours of July 13," the statement said.

The Prime Minister's Office also confirmed that the President had left the country.

Rajapaksa, who enjoys immunity from prosecution while he is president, fled the country before resigning to avoid the possibility of arrest by the new government.

He arrived in the capital of the Maldives, Male, at around 03:00 local time (22:00 GMT), BBC reported.

He was received by a Maldivian government representative at the Velana airport and taken to an undisclosed location under police escort, sources said, quoting Maldivian officials.

Rajapaksa's escape to the Maldives was negotiated by the Maldivian Majlis (Parliament) Speaker and former president Mohamed Nasheed, sources in the Maldives capital Male said.

The Maldivian government's argument is that Rajapaksa is still the President of Sri Lanka, and that he hasn't resigned or handed over his powers to a successor. Therefore, if he wanted to travel to the Maldives, it could not have been denied, sources said.

13 people with Gotabaya

Thirteen people accompanied Rajapaksa to the Maldives. They arrived in an AN32 aircraft, according to TV news channels.

Reports say that initial requests to land a military aircraft in the Maldives were refused by the Civil Aviation Authority in Maldives, but later landing was authorised on the request of Speaker Nasheed.

He is expected to be in the Maldives on transit before flying to another destination which is yet to be known.

India denies any role

Meanwhile, the High Commission of India in Sri Lanka categorically denied "baseless and speculative" media reports that it facilitated the escape of Rajapaksa to the Maldives.

"It is reiterated that India will continue to support the people of Sri Lanka as they seek to realize their aspirations for prosperity and progress through democratic means and values, established democratic institutions and constitutional framework, the India mission tweeted.

On Saturday, Rajapaksa had announced to step down on Wednesday after thousands of protesters stormed his official residence, blaming him for the unprecedented economic crisis that has brought the country to its knees.