Saturday
23rd Nov 2024
Dhivehi Edition
President Solih and Indian PM Modi. Photo: President's Office
The Indian government has instructed President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and Mohamed Nasheed, the Speaker of the People’s Majlis, to openly and vocally oppose the “India Out” movement currently being lead by the opposition leader, former President Abdullah Yameen Abdul Gayyoom.
An official within the President’s Office who spoke with The Maldives Journal said that both Nasheed and Solih had been instructed to publicly and vocally oppose the “India Out” campaign and for the government to put a stop to it and block it.
As per New Delhi’s command, Speaker Nasheed had organized a meeting, that had been broadcast, in which he spoke out against the “India Out” movement, and had called on the Maldives Police Service to put a stop to former President Yameen’s practice of wearing a red “India Out” T-shirt.
Within hours of Speaker Nasheed’s statements, the President’s Office’s Chief of Staff, Ali Zahir, had made an appearance on national television during which he had warned that the “India Out” movement would be stopped.
“[India] wants the President to say something directly. So, the Chief of Staff went on television last night to demonstrate the President’s commitment”, said the official.
In addition, India has also requested other political parties to speak out against “India Out”.
Since the former President’s acquittal last month, he has adopted and intensified the grassroots “India Out” movement that began on social media. He had made a tour of two islands of Kaafu Atoll in the last weekend to gather support for the movement, and he is currently on tour in Faafu Atoll this weekend for the same goal.