The High Commission of India in the Maldives is taking “necessary precautionary measures” to ramp up the security amid threats by opposition politicians linked to former President Abdulla Yameen, who heads the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM).
Last week, Abbas Adil Riza, a former government spokesperson under Yameen, called for the Indian High Commission building in Male to be set on fire.
The Maldivian Foreign Ministry has condemned the statement as an “incitement of arson and terrorism”.
Riza has been arrested and a probe has been instituted to further investigate his statement.
Indian foreign ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said during his weekly press briefing on Thursday that the Indian mission in Male was in “close touch” with the Maldivian government on the matter.
“We have noted that the government of Maldives has taken swift action and the matter is being investigated,” the Indian official further remarked.
Bagchi also noted that the Maldivian Foreign Ministry as well as various political parties in the country have also “condemned” the statement.
Anti-India Campaign?
Riza’s provocative statement against the Indian diplomatic mission was made just days before Yameen was convicted by the Maldives Criminal Court of embezzling state funds to the tune of $1 million while he was in power.
Yameen, who lost power to Maldivian Democratic Party (MPD) rival Ibrahim Mohamed Solih in 2018, was convicted of the charges in 2019 and fined $5 million at the time. However, he was released from house arrest in 2020.
Since he was declared as the presidential nominee for the 2023 leadership contest, Yameen and his supporters have been leading a nationwide ‘India Out’ campaign to protest New Delhi’s strong political, defense and economic ties with the Solih administration.
Yameen’s lawyers have said that they would appeal the verdict in the Supreme Court and even accused New Delhi of “judicial interference” in the country’s matters.