Exiled former Maldivian president Mohamed Nasheed on Tuesday urged India to intervene military and diplomatically to resolve the ongoing political crisis in the island nation after President Abdulla Yameen declared emergency and troops arrested the chief justice on Monday.
Nasheed has been living in London after the UK granted him asylum in 2016.
Maldives has been facing uncertainty since last week when its Supreme Court called for the release of nine imprisoned opposition leaders. The government refused to implement the ruling, triggering violent protests in the capital Male.
After the declaration of emergency on Monday, Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed and another judge were arrested while another ex-president, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, was also detained.
Nasheed has requested India to send an envoy, backed by its military, to free the political detainees. He told reporters, “We are asking for a physical (Indian) presence.”
Nasheed called the emergency proclamation illegal and said nobody should adhere to it. He called on US financial institutions to stop transactions with the Yameen government.
India has traditionally maintained close ties to Maldives; Indian military units helped foil a coup against Gayoom, backed by Sri Lankan mercenaries, in 1988.
However, experts say the possibility of military intervention currently is low currently. Yameen's growing proximity to China has concerned New Delhi in recent times.
Meanwhile, the Indian government on Monday advised citizens to defer non-essential travel to Maldives due to the situation. The ministry of external affairs also advised expatriates in Maldives to exercise caution. Maldives is a popular tourist destination for Indians, in particular newly-weds.
(With agency inputs)
