On Thursday, India refrained from commenting on the internal political turmoil in the Maldives, where the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) is planning to impeach President Mohamed Muizzu due to concerns over his government's handling of critical issues. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, during a media briefing, stated, "These are internal matters of Maldives, and we would not like to comment on them."
The MDP's decision to pursue impeachment stems from clashes in Parliament on Sunday, where pro-government MPs and opposition lawmakers clashed over the approval of four members of Muizzu's cabinet. Muizzu, who defeated the India-friendly incumbent Ibrahim Mohamed Solih in the September presidential runoff, has strained ties between India and the Maldives since assuming power in November.
Widely perceived as a pro-China leader, Muizzu, in his presidential capacity, reiterated his commitment to fulfilling his election promise of evicting Indian military personnel from the country. In a recent development, he requested India to withdraw all deployed Indian military personnel from the Maldives by March 15, adding strain to bilateral relations. The first meeting of the "High-Level Core Group" between the two nations focused primarily on addressing this contentious issue.
Responding to queries about a Chinese survey vessel's visit to the Maldives, Jaiswal emphasized India's vigilant monitoring of developments that could impact its economic and security interests. The situation in the Maldives remains dynamic, and India maintains a cautious stance on commenting on internal matters while closely observing the evolving scenario.
(With Agency Inputs)
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