Maldives President Muizzu slammed by ex-minister for 'lies' about Indian military presence on island

AbdullaShahid, former Maldives foreign minister, slammed pro-China President Mohamed Muizzu for falsely claiming the presence of "thousands of Indian troops" in the South Asian archipelago nation in the Indian Ocean. Shahid, who also served as the president of the United Nations General Assembly (2021-2022), said that they were part of Muizzu's "string of lies".

Abdulla Shahid is the current president of former Maldives presidentIbrahim Mohamed Solih'sMaldivian Democratic Party.

In a post on X, the former foreign minister said that there are no armed foreign soldiers stationed in the island nation. He said the Muizzu government's inability to provide the number of foreign troops in the island nation "speaks volumes".

"100 days in, it's clear: President Muizzu's claims of 'thousands of Indian military personnel' were just another in a string of lies. The current administration's inability to provide specific numbers speaks volumes. There are no armed foreign soldiers stationed in the country. Transparency matters, and the truth must prevail," Shahid said.

According to reports, there arejust 88 Indian military personnel stationed in the Maldives who are involved in operating an India-given Dornier aircraft and two helicopters. They maintain radar stations andhelp patrol Maldives' exclusive economic zone.

Phased replacement of Indian military personnel from Maldives

The governments of India and Maldives on Feb 2 hadagreed to a phased replacement of the Indian military personnel posted in the nation.

The development came amid New Delhi's emphasis on "mutually workable solutions"afterPresident Muizzu called upon New Delhi to pull out its personnel from the island nation.

Meanwhile, campaigning for Maldives parliamentary elections started on Monday (Feb 26).

Also watch |Maldives ex-Minister Abdulla Shahid debunks Presidents' Indian Military presence claims

The elections will take place onMarch 17 and are seen as a litmus test for President Muizzu's policies since he assumedcharge in November. While Muizzu is the president of the nation, the parliamentary majority currently rests with Shahid'sMaldivian Democratic Party.

The development comes aftera diplomatic row over Maldivian politicians’ derogatory remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Lakshadweep in January. This ledto a significant strain in bilateral ties between the two countries.

(With inputs from agencies)