Must always remember India's support to Maldives: Yameen

Former President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom has stated that India's assistance to Maldives 37 years ago on 3rd November 1988 during the attempted coupe attack is "a day of remembrance of India's assistance to Maldives".

Yameen highlighted seven key things via X regarding Maldives thwarting the attack on Male' by Abdulla Luthufee (H. Haajaraage) when he had led a small group of Maldivians and members of a Sri Lankan terrorist organization.

The last thing he had highlighted was "the day where we will forever remember India's help to Maldives".

While Yameen marked India's military assistance during the hostile attacks on 3rd November, he has been one of the individuals to have heavily criticized Maldives-India relations. His criticisms related to the then-regular topic of India's attempt to strong-arm themselves into Maldives' internal affairs.

Yameen had played a large part in the "India Out" campaign that had gone against the amicable relationship former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih's administration had at the time, the helicopter given to Maldives by India and the stationing of Indian military personnel  in Maldives to operate Dornier aircraft's. During Yameen's administration, relations with India had soured.

While speaking on Victory Day, Yameen said it was the courage and determination of national hero and retired officer Ibrahim Mohamed Didi that enabled the recapture of the military’s arsenal, paving the way for strong counterattacks. Yameen said that on that day, a regular soldier had taught the entire army a powerful lesson in defending the nation.