Imran slammed for threatening protest crackdown

Home minister Imran Abdulla has come under fire for threatening to crack down on anti-government protests.

During President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih's presidential campaign to Meemu atoll, there have been protests against him in some islands. Dissatisfied with it, Imran threatened his rivals at a rally in M. Dhiggaru on Sunday evening.

"Whether you are Democrats, PPM members [and] other parties, don't pull these stunts on us when we go to the islands. In all islands. If you want to do it this way, we will be worse," said Imran, who is also the president of the religious conservative Adhaalath Party, which has renewed its coalition agreement with President Solih for a second term.

President Solih arrived in Dhiggaru on Sunday evening, where some people protested against him. Referring to that, Imran said that it is not the right situation to be seen in Maldives now, and that it is the same scenario as was seen in Maldives in the early 2000s.

"I will not allow anyone to throw sand and water on people or physically assault anyone for politics in this country. I will not allow protests to be the only way political activities are conducted," Imran said.

According to Imran:

Imran 's remarks have been criticised by the opposition, saying his remarks are alien to democracy.

“After allowing government corruption, theft and bribery, covering up human trafficking and drug trafficking and selling the country’s territorial waters, are you now out to crack down on freedom of expression and assembly?” The Democrats interim chairman, Henveiru West MP Hassan Latheef tweeted on Monday.

Some remembered Imran's speech at the 2015 May Day protest. The Democrats' Ungoofaaru MP Ibrahim Waheed tweeted with a video of Imran 's remarks at the protest, saying that protests are banned only when Imran becomes minister.

“It is a right guaranteed to everyone by the constitution,” Waheed said.