Motion against Mariya for ridiculing Samad dismissed
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By
Mariyam Umna Ismail
An emergency motion seeking action against defence minister Mariya Ahmed Didi, who made derogatory remarks against PPM official Abdul Samad, who was recently deported from India, has been dismissed.
Speaking at a ceremony held at the Carnival area on Friday evening to formally hand over the presidential ticket to President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, Mariya ridiculed Samad, referring to his recent deportation from the India after having frontlined the ‘India Out’ protest.
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Mariya's comments on such a thing that happened to a Maldivian citizen during her tenure as defence minister have drawn criticism from the public as well as some MDP members
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Mariya defended her statements regardless the criticism
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PPM feels that Mariya joked about the inconvenience caused to a local in a foreign country and should apologise as a citizen
The case was filed on behalf of the opposition coalition, Fares Maathoda MP Hussain Mohamed Latheef, condemning Mariya's remarks during her tenure as defence minister and urging the government to take action against her. In Monday’s vote on the debate on the issue:
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Only eight MPs voted for a debate
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31 MPs voted to dismiss the case
Raising the emergency issue in Monday’s parliament session, Hussain said:
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While Samad had retired with distinction after serving in the country's security service for a long time, the defence minister had used derogatory remarks in addressing him
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A person who has rendered exemplary service to the armed forces or in the police force will not betray his country; at any time he will come out to defend the independence of this country
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The Defence Minister has in the past cracked jokes at national security forces, calling the police and armed forces ‘Findhana’, name of a common sandpiper bird found in the Maldives, used proverbially to depict diminutive nature, and had frequently abused the armed forces and the police.
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The fact that someone like Mariya is holding the post shows the lack of appreciation of the armed forces and the police by this government
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It is not acceptable that those in positions at various levels of the government can humiliate and insult the people of the country to please a foreign nation
Highlighting these issues, Hussain demanded that Mariya, as a citizen of the country, apologise for her remarks made in connection with Samad. Hussain also urged the government to take action against her as she had made the remarks during her tenure as defence minister.
