Islamic NGO Jamiyyath Salaf has filed a complaint against State broadcaster PSM over airing the New Year’s show, which was blasted for being “irreligious”.

The live broadcast had been criticized for showing female performers dancing onstage wearing tight-fitting and revealing outfits.

President Abdulla Yameen, the First Lady, and senior government officials had attended the event.

Salaf asked Maldives Broadcasting Commission (BroadCom), the Islamic Ministry, and the Home Ministry, to penalize those responsible for the show.  In their website, Salaf noted that PSM had violated broadcasting regulations by airing the show live. It also cited Quranic verses to justify its claims.

In an earlier interview with RaajjeTV on Monday, the NGO’s Vice President Sheikh Hassan Moosa Fikree denied claims that religious scholars had remained silent after the government-hosted show was aired.