President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih of the Maldives signed an order on Thursday prohibiting the ‘India Out’ campaign, which is now led by former President Abdulla Yameen, from taking place, calling it a “threat to national security.”
The Presidential order said the campaign against India “exploited” the freedoms and “intends to disrupt” the long-standing bilateral relations between the Maldives and India, as well as efforts to maintain peace and security in the region, and that the government’s policy was to provide freedom of expression and freedom of assembly guaranteed under the Constitution “to the fullest extent” and to “uphold democratic values.”
Solih urges to stop this hatred
The move comes after the Maldives’ National Security Council recently declared the effort “to promote hatred towards India” to be a “threat” to national security.
Former President Yameen has been at the forefront of the ‘India Out’ campaign, which was begun and pushed by critics of the Solih administration. The campaign accuses the Maldivian government of “enabling” Indian military involvement in the island nation – something the administration has denied – and of being a “puppet” of New Delhi. President Solih has adopted an “India first” foreign strategy and has stated that Male’s close connections with New Delhi are unavoidable.
Mr. Yameen’s political camp, the Progressive Congress Coalition, said it “strongly opposes” President Solih’s “unconstitutional executive order” that “suspense” people’s right to freedom of expression in opposition to “the illegal stationing of Indian military forces” in the Maldives. In a statement, the coalition said, “This marks a tragic day in the history of the Maldives, as for the first time a sitting President has consciously opted to desert his own people and safeguard the interests of a foreign military.”
Speaker and former President Mohamed Nasheed, who had previously criticized the ‘India Out’ campaign in Parliament, said the ‘India Out’ banners placed up near Mr. Yameen’s residence needed to be removed. According to local media accounts, the Maldives police eventually removed the banner.
“Our Constitution is extremely clear on the issue of freedom of expression, stating that it has limits and ends when it infringes on the rights of others.” This campaign is plainly targeted at causing divisions and hate, which is not in anyone’s best interests,” Mr. Nasheed told The Hindu over the phone from Male. “President Solih has given this decree very appropriately,” he remarked on Thursday.