On Tuesday morning, an irate crowd broke into the Maldives national football stadium and ruined the celebrations of International Yoga Day that the Maldives government was hosting in conjunction with the Indian Cultural Center. A violent group of Islamist extremists disrupted the ceremony by storming the site while waving Islamic flags, pushing and threatening the attendees, including India's High Commissioner Munu Mahawar and other diplomats.

According to reports in Male, there were around 150 people at the location on Tuesday morning, including several Maldivian civilians, diplomats, and high government officials. They claimed that nobody was badly harmed during the mob onslaught.

The event may proceed if the nation's police force quickly arrives and subdues the throng, according to officials in Male. The President of the Maldives, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, described it as a 'major issue.' He tweeted shortly after the event that 'an inquiry has been begun by @PoliceMv into the incident that occurred this morning at Galolhu stadium.' The authorities will act quickly to bring those guilty to justice since this is considered a significant problem.

Six individuals were taken into custody by the police in connection with the incident. According to the police, the criminals 'sought to cause terror by forcibly entering, trashing property, and attempting to assault attendees of the event.'
The event was 'seriously criticised' by the Maldivian government. The Indian Ocean island nation's Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement saying, 'Such deliberate acts of violence intended at disturbing public safety and compromising the security of people and the diplomatic corps will not be condoned.'

The Maldives police asked for assistance from the public on Tuesday in the form of any evidence or information related to the event. Authorities became aware of social media posts before the event mocking the 'Yoga Day' celebration. The ads warned citizens of the Islamic nation against practising yoga and claimed it was a form of Hindu worship.

Videos posted on social media showed criminals coming at individuals doing yoga and meditation on their yoga mats while armed with sticks and flags.

The footage circulated also showed some looters coming at the participants with flagpoles as police tried to hold them back.
The Male City Council refused to provide authorization for the event to be hosted at the Rasfannu artificial beach, so the event's organisers had to overcome obstacles before it could take place.
The 'public' had complained and was against the concept of the event taking place there, according to the local council.

According to a report from the Maldivian news agency, The Edition, some Islamists think doing yoga is equivalent to worshipping the sun, which is against Islamic practice.
The conflicting views of Orthodox Muslims on yoga, a spiritual practice that has benefited millions of people worldwide, is a contentious topic in the Maldives.
It is yet unknown if the demonstrators were associated with Abdullah Yameen, the former president and head of the Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM), whom many consider being a China-puppet.

The 'India Out' campaign, which was thought to be an effort to sabotage Maldives-India relations with the aid of Islamists, was created by Yameen.
The opposition Progressive Party of the Maldives, led by former president Abdulla Yameen, who is now leading an 'India Out' campaign, was the target of the assailants' usage of objects, according to the Maldives Police Service. The Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM) office was the source of some of the protestors' tools, according to a statement from the police.

The 'violent attack' was 'unequivocally denounced' by the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP). The party underlined that the Maldives has been commemorating 'World Yoga Day' since 2015. 'These sorts of outrageous and violent activities have no place in a peaceful democratic country such as ours,' the statement from the party said. In 2014, the Maldives was one of the 177 nations that supported a resolution at the UN designating June 21 as the 'International Day of Yoga.'

The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) previously proposed legislation to classify anti-India demonstrations as anti-national, finding that India always rushed to the aid of the island country of Maldives whenever it was in need and is also essential to its ability to secure its food supply.