Maldives Police Service (MPS) arrested 28 protestors from the opposition coalition’s “India Out!” rally staged on Friday evening.

According to the opposition coalition, 28 protestors were taken into police custody from the rally, staged in front of the office of Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM).

The opposition; comprised on PPM and People’s National Congress (PNC), has been staging protests under the “India Out!” campaign almost every week. Supporters of the opposition leader Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom throng the streets sporting T-shirts with the disparaging slogan and carrying banners and flags reading “India Out!”.

Earlier, the opposition revealed that they had been warned by the police institution to stop the use of “India Out!” T-shirts. The opposition’s petition carries the hope to deliver their message on the urgency of rejecting Indian military presence across the Maldives. The opposition coalition has also begun collecting signatures for a petition under its “India Out!” campaign, which is ongoing in atolls as well

The “India Out!” campaign has been fired up more than ever since the release of their leader, Yameen.

The Supreme Court in November overturned the five-year prison sentence slapped on Yameen, who was found guilty of money laundering in 2019 and released him from prison, the opposition party has been hosting rallies every Friday.

Almost all other political parties have condemned the campaign and even publicized statements against it. Some of these political parties include ones supporting the incumbent administration of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and those who do not back the government.

The government has also revealed that the false information alleging that bilateral cooperation between Maldives and India undermines the country’s sovereignty and national security, are misguided and unsubstantiated. The government revealed that India, will “always remain a true and a trusted friend of the people of the Maldives.”

As such, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs revealed that India has always been the Maldives’ closest ally and trusted neighbor, affirming that the long-standing ties between Maldives and international partners are based on principles of mutual respect and understanding that lines up with respective national and international law, and that the country’s interactions in the international sphere “does not” and “will not” dent the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of the island nation.

Going on to shed light on the strong bilateral relationship between both countries to be based on shared historical and cultural ties, matched by dynamic people to people contact, the ministry revealed that India has always been closest to the Maldives with their generous and constant support on all fronts.

With this being said, the ministry asserted that Maldivian communities directly benefit from the support provided by India on areas such as search and rescue capabilities, casualty evacuation, coastal surveillance, and maritime reconnaissance.

India has one of the first-responders in times of crisis, for decades, some instances include the 1988 mercenary attack, the Indian-Ocean Tsunami of 2004, the capital city water crisis of 2015 as well as the countless support during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

Maldives also has partnerships with other countries in similar areas of cooperation, with an aim to boost technical and strategic capacities.