Spelling altered ‘India Out’ banner also removed by Police

The spelling altered ‘India Out’ banner that was hung in Male’ City last night following the removal of ‘India Out’ banners earlier in the day – has also been removed by the Police.

Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) reported that the banner was removed around dawn.

The new banner hung at G. Rasthari located at the intersection of Kashimaa Hingun and Dhoohimi Hingin read ‘In Dear Out’ in English.

As part of the campaign being carried out against presence of Indian military personnel in the Maldives, huge banners with ‘India Out’ written in bold letters were hung at former President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayyoom’s house, H. Dhoovehi, and PPM headquarters, located in H. Hurafa. They were both forcibly removed by Police on Thursday, after entering the buildings with court orders.

Whilst the opposition were gearing up to expand ‘India Out’ campaign across the Maldives, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih issued a decree on Thursday, declaring the ‘India Out’ campaign as a threat to national security.

In the presidential decree titled ‘Stopping Planned Activities to Incite Hatred Towards Specific Countries Under Various Slogans’ which was gazetted today, it was stressed that the National Security Council had decided the ‘India Out’ campaign posed a threat to national security.

The decree also read that political campaigns targeting a specific country posed a threat to national security.

President Solih, in the decree, also said the ‘India Out’ campaign put Maldives at risk of loss of peace and stability, huge economic and social burden, and isolation in the international arena.

He said that failure to save Maldives from the danger could lead to irrevocable losses, and make it difficult to maintain Maldives’ independence, and ascertain the safety of Maldivians living or visiting overseas, and foreigners in Maldives.

Citing these reasons, President Solih had ordered to stop ‘India Out’ activities and instructed all government authorities to enforce this.

Opposition coalition had deemed the decree to be unlawful and has revealed plans to challenge it in court.