JP: Man who attacked state minister needs to be chained

Jumhoory Party (JP) states that the man who attacked State Minister for Environment Ali Solih earlier Monday needed to be taken to K. Guraidhoo and chained.

Solih, JP’s chief spokesperson, was attacked with a sharp-edged weapon on the main street of suburban Hulhumale’ on Monday afternoon. Police have arrested a 43-year-old man in connection to the case.

Condemning the attack, JP’s deputy leader Ahmed Saud said it was clear the attack was an attempt on Solih’s life.

He said that such dangerous people must be detained and chained.

“It was by pure luck that our chief spokesperson escaped the attempt on his life. He didn’t carry out the attack to cause harm. Rather than that, he attempted to slit his throat and straight out kill him. Anyone who saw the video knows he wasn’t just threatening him. That he was trying to take his life,” he said.

Saud said it hadn’t been an attack on Solih alone.

He said the man had been threatening to kill everyone he met, and posed a danger to everyone.

Saud said that such people shouldn’t be allowed to roam freely.

“We don’t know whose child he will target next. He is not mentally stable. Because of his evilness and out of pure convenience, he is learning to live in a manner that invokes fear. Such people need to be chained and constrained. He attempted to kill someone,” he said.

Saud said JP condemned the attack in the harshest terms.

The suspect arrested in the case is the same man who barged into the Salman Mosque back in July wearing clothing with the logo of terror organization Islamic State, and disrupted Friday prayers. He was arrested by police and released the same day.

He was also seen by multiple witnesses, including reporters, threatening to kill two traffic police officers in Majeedhee Magu on Saturday night.

The attack on Solih was caught on video by bystanders. The video shows the suspect attempting to attack stop in front of Solih, who is on his motorcycle, and attempt to slash his throat with what appears to be a box cutter. Solih accelerates his motorcycle to escape, and the blade slashes his hand. He gets off his motorcycle and flees to evade further attack.

Police have previously stated the suspect was known to have mental health issues.