Youth Minister Ahmed Mahloof says the controversy surrounding the Yoga Day activities is an elaborate plan by certain political players to come into power.
Mahloof made these comments while answering questions about the Yoga Day Violence at the parliament today.
The Minister noted that the Yoga issue is being pushed to benefit a certain political agenda. He said that the Maldives has been celebrating International Yoga Day since 2014.
Mahloof said once it has been established that activities like Yoga and music are prohibited in Islam, he would not be organizing such events.
He further said that some are looking to incite violence by using such sentiments and that this was being done for some political players to come into power.
The Youth Ministry had collaborated with the Indian High Commission in the Maldives to organize activities to celebrate International Yoga Day activities on the 21st of this month. The main event was held at Galolhu National Stadium and was quickly surrounded by a crowd of angry youth demanding that Yoga day activities be halted.
Despite the heavy security presence at the gates of the stadium, the crowd barged into the stadium and violence followed afterward.
Police have so far arrested 21 individuals in relation to the violence in the stadium.
