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Two men arrested over anti-India graffiti

Lamya Abdulla
01 March 2022, MVT 18:33
Shaviyani Feydhoo school vandalized --
Lamya Abdulla
01 March 2022, MVT 18:33

Two men arrested on Sunday in connection to vandalising a boundary wall of a school with "India Out" graffiti.

Police said two men aged 28 and 31 were arrested under a court order for the repeat offence of vandalizing the school in Feydhoo of Shaviyani atoll currently under renovation.

The court has given seven days to conduct the investigation while the two men are in custody.

The vandals had left phrases like “India Out”, “Ban Uthema,” “India Military Out,” “Hijab is our right,” as well as romantic phrases.

Some of the phrases on the wall was in reference to the yellow colour of the wall, stating that the colours were usually used in temples as well.

President of Feydhoo Council Ahmed Raisan told Mihaaru news that the council had passed gold and pink as the official colours of the Feydhoo Council. These colours were used on the wall of the pre-school, as well as other colours, as the plan was to paint the wall with child-friendly illustrations.

"Once the illustrations were completed, the colour wouldn't be that highlighted," Raisan.

A similar issue had risen in Funadhoo of the same atoll, when some vandals had written "India Out" on their school wall as well.

This phrase, in addition to "Say No to India" were written on these public places after former President and Opposition Leader Abdulla Yameen had urged people in this direction, instructing his supporters to write it on the walls of their homes as well.

The opposition coalition comprising of PPM and PNC have held protests in Male' over various weekends, calling against the presence of Indian Military in Maldives. The coalition leaders have held similar protests in various islands as well.

However these protests have started to affect the teachers living in islands throughout the nation, as the locals on the islands started to harass them. Education Ministry has previously stated that teachers have reported harassment, as well as threats aimed at them to leave the island.

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