Maldives President Ibrahim Mohammed Solih has issued a decree banning the opposition-led “India Out” campaign, accusing it of inciting hatred against a specific country and terming it a threat to national security. Opposition parties have vowed to challenge the move in court.

The decree, titled ‘Stopping Planned Activities to Incite Hatred Towards Specific Countries Under Various Slogans, came after the National Security Council had decided the ‘India Out’ campaign posed a threat to national security.

Opposition parties led by former president Abdullah Yameen have been running the anti-India campaign, seeking an end to the alleged presence of the Indian military in the archipelago.

The ruling coalition led by the MDP, which favors close ties with India and officially follows the “India-First” policy, has lately come under increased domestic pressure as the result of the campaign, posing a risk to strategic ties with India, one of its closest allies.

Solih defended the move banning the campaign, saying his administration respected the freedom of speech but added that the campaign was conducted by taking undue advantage of the policy and with the purpose of violating the peace and security in the Maldives, reported Sun news.

Apart from hindering long-standing ties with India, the campaign, he said, puts the Maldives at risk of loss of peace and stability, huge economic and social burden, and isolation in the international arena.

Soon after the issuance of the decree, police stormed the opposition PPM headquarters and the residence of opposition leaders, including residences of former president Yameen and Abdul Gayoom, on Thursday to remove ‘India Out’ banners hanging from the buildings.

Rejecting the decree, opposition parties said they were exploring all options and will soon challenge the government’s move in the court.

Under Yameen, who ruled the country between 2013-2018, the Maldives' ties with India came under significant strain, as he aggressively courted China, ignoring New Delhi’s sensitivity in the Indian Ocean region.

Since losing power in the 2018 presidential elections, Yameen’s party and allies have been targeting India in order to undermine the domestic support of the ruling coalition, whom they accuse of compromising the country’s independence and sovereignty.

(SAM)