Nasheed goes to 241 Commitee over 'India Out' campaign

Speaker of the Parliament and former President of the Maldives Mohamed Nasheed has submitted an issue to the Parliament's National Security Committee (241 Committee), requesting to investigate the opposition's 'India Out' campaign.

The opposition has been leading a movement calling to send back Indian military personnel stationed in the Maldives, stating that their presence in the Maldives threatened national security. The movement has gained momentum over the past few weeks since opposition leader and former President of the Maldives, Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayyoom, was released from jail after he was acquitted from a money-laundering conviction.

A letter sent by Nasheed addressed to the Chair of the 241 Committee Mohamed Aslam said he wished for the committee to investigate the campaign against India. He stated that the campaign spearheaded by Yameen was a threat to national security and that no modern society would accept such movements. He also noted that the campaign could be detrimental to the age-old friendship between India and the Maldives.

'While thousands of Maldivians reside in India, the 'India Out' movement is causing a lot of difficulties for them,' Nasheed wrote in the letter.

Nasheed had earlier requested his party, Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) members, and Maldives Police Service to put a stop to the India Out movement. MDP has drafted a bill to criminalize any campaigns negatively impacting bilateral ties with other countries.

Meanwhile, Nasheed has repeatedly targeted China and criticized the country heavily. The Chinese government has refuted several untrue statements by Nasheed and has requested Nasheed to stop speaking in this manner.