Maldivian ministers resign, days ahead of President Muizzu’s visit to New Delhi

President Muizzu had suspended three ministers for criticizing PM Modi’s visit to Lakshadweep to promote local tourism, including calling him a “clown,” “terrorist,” and “puppet of Israel.”

The Indian High Commission in the Maldives “strongly raised and expressed concerns,” over the remarks by the three ministers which included Malsha Shareef, Mariyam Shiuna and Abdulla Mahzoom Majid.

The Maldives’ Foreign Ministry responded to the comments saying the government was aware of “derogatory remarks” against foreign leaders and would not tolerate them, news agency Reuters reported. “India has always been a good friend to Maldives and we must not allow such callous remarks to negatively impact the age-old friendship between our two countries,” former Maldives President Ibrahim Solih wrote on X.

Relations between India and Maldives

Seen as pro-China, Muizzu took charge of the top office in November, following which the ties between India and Maldives came under severe strain. During the elections, Muizzu had pledged to end the Maldives’ “India first” policy in a region where New Delhi and Beijing compete for influence, Reuters reported.

Muizzu asked India to withdraw its military personnel soon after assuming office. Moreover, last December, the Muizzu government also decided not to renew a 2019 MoU with India for hydrographic surveying.

In February, India agreed to pull out 80-odd military personnel stationed in the Maldives between March 10 and May 10. According to The Indian Express, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had then said two helicopters and a Dornier aircraft in the Maldives would be operated by “competent Indian technical personnel” who would replace the “present personnel”.

Later, Muizzu softened his stances against India, and according to AFP News, had said he would not upend the regional balance by replacing Indian forces with Chinese troops.

Following the replacement, Maldives Foreign Minister Moosa Zameer visited India in May. A month later, Muizzu attended Modi’s swearing-in ceremony.

Defence dialogue in New Delhi

New Delhi and Male held a defence dialogue in New Delhi last week, where they discussed “ongoing defence cooperation projects” and “forthcoming bilateral military exercises”.

It was the first dialogue since India withdrew its uniformed military personnel from the Maldives earlier this year.

“The entire range of talks were productive which will advance shared interests of both the nations in near future and bring stability and prosperity in the Indian Ocean Region,” the defence ministry said on the defence dialogue, according to a report in The Indian Express.

EAM Jaishankar visits Male

Last month, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar visited Male, in the first high-level visit to the Maldives since Muizzu was elected, to discuss all areas of bilateral cooperation to deepen the partnership between India and Maldives.

Jaishankar then framed the Maldives as “one of the cornerstones of our ‘Neighborhood First’ policy… of our Vision SAGAR, as well as of our commitment to the Global South”. “To put it succinctly in the words of my Prime Minister Narendra Modi, for India, neighbourhood is a priority and, in the neighbourhood, the Maldives is a priority. We also share the closest bonds of history and kinship,” he said.