Angry mob storms Indian Embassy's yoga day event in Maldives

Male: An angry mob on Tuesday stormed the Maldives national football stadium and attacked participants at the 'Yoga Day' event organised by the Indian High Commission and the Maldivian government.

Police responded with anti-riot measures and later used pepper spray and tear gas to control the crowd and secure the area, Superintendent of Police Fathmath Nashwa told Reuters.

Six people have been arrested in connection with the incident, Nashwa said.

The Government of Maldives "strongly condemned" the incident. "Such malicious acts of violence aimed at disrupting public safety and undermining security of individuals and the diplomatic corps will not be tolerated," the Indian Ocean island nation's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

As per reports, the crowd stormed a stadium where more than 150 people, including diplomats and government officers, were taking part in an event celebrating International Day of Yoga, attacking participants and vandalizing the property, one of the organizers, who did not want to be named because he was not authorized to speak with the media, told Reuters.

Earlier, the protesters brandished placards proclaiming that yoga was against the tenets of Islam.

Islam is the state religion in the Maldives, a group of islands in the Indian Ocean with a population of about half a million.

Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih said a police investigation into the incident had begun.

"This is being treated as a matter of serious concern and those responsible will be swiftly brought before the law," Solih said on Twitter.