Former Foreign Minister Ahmed Naseem called on the Indian government to find a means of getting the Maldivian government to negotiate with the opposition regarding the release of former president Mohamed Nasheed who is currently serving a 13 year jail sentence.
He said this while giving an interview with Indian TV channel CNNIB.
He said that India has expressed concern over the Nasheed case before and after his arrest. He added that he does not want to hear that India’s efforts will not bear fruit.
He added that Nasheed would currently be dead if India had not done anything. He called on the Indian government to take measures against the Maldives until Nasheed is released
Naseem in a previous interview with an Indian news agency said that the things happening in Maldives will cause a negative effect to India. He also said that India has the justification to take military actions, a statement he repeated in the recent interview. He justified that action can be taken under the agreements established between Maldives and India. He did not reveal what the agreement was. He also noted that taking military actions is something India has to decide.
Naseem welcomed Indian Prime Minister Narenda Modi’s decision to cancel his trip to Maldives saying that the decision was a good one.
Refuting Naseems words, Yameen said that those were not the words of someone who has the countries best interests at heart.