Ministry of Islamic Affairs has denied sending a letter to the Maldives Police Service (MPS) to stop the World Yoga Day event at the National Stadium on June 21. The ministry made the statement in a press release in response to claims that it had sent a letter to MPS to stop the event and take action against the organisers.
In the press release, the Islamic ministry stated that the letter in question had cited a fatwa, or a ruling on a point of Islamic law, that was in violation of the established regulations and that the ministry is now working to obtain an accurate ruling related to the Yoga Day event from the Supreme Council for Fatwa. The ministry stated that it will publish the fatwa as soon as it is received.
The International Yoga Day event was held on June 21 at the National Stadium with Minister of Youth, Sports, and Community Empowerment Ahmed Mahloof, Indian High Commissioner to the Maldives Munu Mahawar, and foreign diplomats in attendance. The violent disruption occurred after several individuals gathered nearby to protest the event and later broke through the police barricades and entered the stadium.
Meanwhile, MPS has arrested 25-year-old Abu Bakr Fariu and 31-year-old Shabim Adam in relation to the incident, increasing the total number of arrests to 21. Abu Bakr Fariu has been remanded for 60 days while Shabim Adam was remanded for 10 days.
The Serious and Organised Crime Department of the Crime Investigation Command of the MPS is investigating the incident. MPS stated that the perpetrators had sought to incite fear by forcefully entering, destroying property, and attempting to assault participants of the event. It appealed to the public to submit any information, videos, or photos of the incident.