Qasim Ibrahim, a leader of the Maldives Jumhooree Party (JP), has called on Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu to issue a formal apology to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Indian public.
The call for an apology follows clashes in the Maldivian Parliament, where opposition lawmakers and pro-government MPs clashed over the approval of four cabinet members. In response, the main opposition MDP, holding a parliamentary majority, has announced plans to submit a motion for the impeachment of the President.
"Regarding any country, especially a neighbouring one, we shouldn't speak in a way that affects the relationship. We have an obligation to our state that must be considered. President Solih did consider this obligation and issued a Presidential Decree banning the "India Out" campaign. Now, Yameen (former president Abdulla Yameen) is questioning why Muizzu, who participated with him in the India Out Campaign, has not nullified the Presidential Decree," he said.
He added, "The Decree should not be nullified, as it would only result in a loss to the nation. That cannot be done. I would tell Muizzu that it shouldn't be done. Also, I call on President Muizzu to formally apologise to the Indian government and Prime Minister Modi regarding his remarks after the China trip."
In a decree signed last year, then Maldivian President Ibrahim Solih declared the opposition's 'India Out' campaign as a "threat to national security." This decree authorized security agencies to remove campaign banners and provided constitutional grounds for action against opposition parties.
Led by former President Abdulla Yameen of the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), the opposition had been advocating the 'India Out' campaign for over a year, alleging without evidence that the presence of Indian military officers in the island nation's territory violated Maldives' sovereignty.