Maldives President Muizzu: Took action against ministers who made anti-Modi remarks

Maldives President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has said that his government took action against the ministers who made disparagingremarks against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. These are the first public comments by the Maldives President on the issue that led to India-Maldives ties deteriorating.

Speaking at an event at PrincetonUniversity, he said, "Nobody should say such things. I mean, I definitely took action on that, and I do not tolerate anything to be said against anybody, whether it's a simple person or a leader, every human has dignity, so nobody should be allowed to say things...I took action, and it's been dealt with."

Earlier this year, Mariyam Shiuna, along with two other Maldivian ministers, made derogatory remarks against the Indian prime minister following his visit to Lakshadweep.

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The Maldives government quickly distanced itself from these comments by suspending three ministers. Two of the ministers were later removed from office as well. The remarks led to a significant backlash in India, with calls for boycotts of Maldivian tourism.

The Maldives president, emphasised, "uttering any word that is disrespecting anybody else is wrong". The comments come ahead of his bilateral visit to India in October. He had visited Delhi in June to attend the oath-taking ceremony of PM Modi for his 3rd term.

Askedabout hisview on the "India Out" campaign seen last year, during the Presidential elections, Muizzu said, "Our foreign policy has always been from the day I announced my campaign, it's always been Maldives first. It's not India out."

He explained that the "problem" wasthe presence of the Indian military personnel in Maldives. After several rounds of diplomatic talks, the military personnel were replaced by Indian civilian persons to handle the military assetsgiven by India for humanitarian purposes. The President said that the issue has "been very diplomatically coordinated and with the full support of the Indian Government and the diplomatic channels, it was resolved."

Meanwhile, demonstrating a commitment to maintaining strong ties, India provided crucial financial support to the Maldives. This includes rolling over treasury bills worth $50 million to help the Maldives manage its financial obligations, particularly in avoiding a default on its Islamic bond payments. New Delhi is also involved in major infrastructureprojects in the Indian Ocean island country.

Maldives president is currently on a visit to the US, where he addressed the United Nations General Assembly and has had a number of bilateral meetings.