Maldivian crisis: Yameen accuses judges of overthrowing him

Male [Maldives], Feb. 06 (ANI): Embattled Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen on Tuesday accused the judges of plotting to overthrow him, saying that the emergency was imposed to investigate "this plot, this coup" of the Maldivian Supreme Court, which ordered the release of nine jailed opposition leaders, according to media reports.

"I had to declare a national emergency because there was no other way to investigate these judges," President Abdulla Yameen said in a televised address to the nation." We had to find out how thick this plot or coup was."

Meanwhile, former Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed has asked India to send military help to stem the ongoing political crisis.

On Monday, Former President of Maldives Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed, Supreme Court Justice Ali Hameed and Judicial administrator Hassan Saeed were arrested by security forces, just hours after President Abdulla Yameen declared a state of emergency in the country.

Yameen, who has been defying Supreme Court's orders, directing him to release former president Mohamed Nasheed, and free eight other political opponents from prison, has now given sweeping powers to security forces in the country, which is facing widespread protests against the president.

The opposition and general public have been unrelentingly asking President Yameen to step down and allow a new leadership to take charge.

Last week, the Maldivian Supreme Court acquitted former Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed, former Maldivian Vice President Ahmed Adeeb and ordered the reinstatement of the 12 other parliamentary members.

The Maldives has been in a state of turmoil since 2015 when Nasheed, the first democratically elected president of the country, was arrested on "terrorism" charges, relating to the arrest of a judge during his tenure.

The arrest had led to widespread protests across the country and resulted in the arrest of hundreds of dissidents. The apex court had sentenced Nasheed to 13 years in prison.

In 2016, Nasheed sought political asylum in the United Kingdom (UK) after travelling there on medical leave from prison.

Ten years ago, the Maldives became a multiparty democracy, after three decades of autocratic rule of former strongman and Yameen's half-brother Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. (ANI)