President of Maldives National Party (MNP) Mohamed Nazim has stated former President Abdulla Yameen is leading the India Out campaign to create disorder and distract the public from the illegal activities his administration had been involved in.
Speaking at a press conference, MNP President Nazim said his party is not in favour of foreign military personnel being stationed in the country but denounces the opposition's India Out campaign. Nazim, who had served as the first Minister of Defence in Yameen's administration, said the purpose of the campaign is to distract the public from the illegal activities conducted by the previous government, and called on Maldivians to not participate in the campaign. He said MNP is a patriotic party that supports a foreign policy that involves working with other countries, and that the party will work to hold the government accountable in an honest and transparent manner.
Also at the press conference, Vice President of MNP Ahmed Usham noted that Indian military personnel was also stationed in the Maldives during Yameen's tenure and that his government had renewed their visas. Therefore, Usham said he does not believe that the opposition is conducting the India Out campaign for reasons related to the national interest. He said the purpose of the campaign is to fulfill Yameen's personal interests in distracting the public from the allegations of corruption against him.
The government has stated the agreements between the Maldives and India do not undermine national security. Parliamentary Committee on National Security Services has also evaluated the agreements and has passed that they pose no threat to national security.