Male: Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu has again pressed his "India out" campaign soon after landing at the airport from China and vowed to stop the emergency helicopter services as facilitated by India. According to a report by Dhauru Maldives Media, Muizzu has fixed "March" this year as the deadline to stop the helicopter services which until now, have played a critical role in ferrying the patients from remote villages to the national capital, Male and other nations.
"Air ambulances to carry patients will hopefully start flying on March 1st but not the [Indian] helicopter. The replacement of our existing [Moldovan] Dash 8 aircraft has now begun," local media quoted Muizzu as saying.
India gifted helicopters to Maldives
It is worth mentioning two advanced light helicopters-- (ALH) and a Dornier aircraft-- provided by New Delhi have been extensively used for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations. Both helicopters were provided during the earlier regime which was considered as pro-India. However, ever since Muizzu started an "India out" campaign, he had poised to make the country "free of foreign interference".
"The second advanced light helicopter (ALH) gifted by India arrived in Maldives on April 27, 2016. Minister of Defence and National Security of Maldives H.E Adam Shareef and High Commissioner of India to Maldives welcomed the ALH and its crew at the Ibrahim Nasir International Airport," read the social media post of India in Maldives when it received the second helicopter from New Delhi.
Subsequently, when Muizzu met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sideline of the COP28 meeting in November last year, he urged the Indian leader to withdraw military presence from the country. Later, New Delhi agreed to withdraw but neither side fixed any deadline. However, earlier today, officials from both countries met in the Male, where the Muizzu government pressed Delhi to withdraw the military. India has about 75 personnel in Maldives. As per the latest development, Male asked New Delhi to vacate the country by March this year.
India-Maldives tension
It is worth mentioning, that PM Narendra Modi, on January 4, shared some pictures of his recent visit to Lakshadweep. Without mentioning a single word on Maldives, the Prime Minister praised the beauty of Lakshadweep and said: "Recently, I had the opportunity to be among the people of Lakshadweep. I am still in awe of the stunning beauty of its islands and the incredible warmth of its people. I had the opportunity to interact with people in Agatti, Bangaram and Kavaratti. I thank the people of the islands for their hospitality. Here are some glimpses, including aerial glimpses from Lakshadweep..."
However, Mariyam Shiuna, Deputy Minister of Youth Empowerment, Information and Arts, commented on the photos of PM Modi's recent visit to Lakshadweep, a ‘clown’ and a ‘puppet of Israel’. “What a clown. The puppet of Israel Mr Narendra diver with a life jacket #VisitMaldives,” Shiuna tweeted. Her critical comments came as India has maintained good relations with Israel even though the country has been engaged in the ongoing war against Hamas. India, however, since the start of the conflict has helped Palestine, sending humanitarian aid and has actively advocated two-state solutions. Ignoring the fact, the minister called Prime Minister Modi a "puppet of Israel".
In fact, several of the ministers even claimed that Indian beaches could not meet the cleanliness level of the Maldives beaches. “The move is great. However, the idea of competing with us is delusional. How can they provide the service we offer? How can they be so clean? The permanent smell in the rooms will be the biggest downfall," Zahid Rameez, a Council member of the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) wrote on X.
This triggered a major row on social media platforms, wherein the former President and Foreign Minister of Maldives denounced their country's leaders' comments. Former president Mohamed Nasheed denounced the comments and suggested his successor to distance his government from the controversial comment.
Maldives govt issues clarification
Apprehending the consequences, the government of Maldives issued a statement saying it was aware of derogatory remarks on social media platforms against foreign leaders and high-ranking individuals and added it did not represent the views of the government.
"The Government of Maldives is aware of derogatory remarks on social media platforms against foreign leaders and high-ranking individuals. These opinions are personal and do not represent the views of the Government of Maldives...Moreover, the relevant authorities of the Government will not hesitate to take action against those who make such derogatory remarks," according to the statement.
A day after the suspension, India called the Maldives envoy in New Delhi and discussed the matter.
