Amidst the increasing proximity of Maldives to China, the dispute with India is increasing. Maldives President Mohammed Muizzu has asked India to withdraw its troops. Meanwhile, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said that India should definitely be cautious about Maldives’ proximity to China.
Shashi Tharoor said on Sunday (January 14, 2024) that the Indian government should be aware of the danger posed by Maldives’ proximity to China. He was speaking at a program organized on the 54th anniversary of Tughlaq magazine here.
China is increasing influence on India border – Tharoor
Congress MP Tharoor said, China is trying to increase its influence on India’s border. On the diplomatic controversy after PM Modi’s visit to Lakshadweep, Shashi Tharoor said, we have to keep a close eye on the growing closeness of the Maldives government to China. He said, it (China) is rapidly increasing its influence in all our neighboring countries. We (India) should definitely be alert and our government should be aware of those threats.
Ongoing dispute between India and Maldives
Relations between India and Maldives are going through a bad phase. In fact, China-backed Mohammad Muizzu won the presidential election held there last year. Muizzu talked about India calling back its troops deployed in Maldives only after being elected President. Mohammad Muizzu had raised the issue of sending back the Indian Army during his election campaign itself. Muizzu also recently went on a tour of China. Muizzoo became the first democratically elected President of Maldives to visit China before visiting India. Departing from the path of previous presidents, Muizzu first visited Turkey instead of India.
After becoming President, Mohammed Muizzu had said that Maldives wanted to end the agreement made with India, in which the Indian Navy was allowed to conduct hydrographic surveys in Maldives’ waters. This agreement was signed between the two countries during PM Modi’s visit to Male in 2019.
Maldives irritated by PM Modi’s visit to Lakshadweep
PM Modi had recently visited Lakshadweep. PM Modi had also shared some pictures of his Lakshadweep tour. In these pictures, he was seen snorkeling and morning walk. While sharing these pictures, PM Modi appealed to the Indians to visit Lakshadweep. PM Modi said that for those who want to embrace their inner adventure, Lakshadweep should be on your list. Amidst the controversy with Maldives, this visit of PM Modi was considered very important and Maldives started trending on social media.
PM Modi’s Lakshadweep visit also became a topic of discussion in Maldives. Many ministers and officials of the Muizzu government had made controversial comments on PM Modi’s visit. India lodged an objection with the Maldives government regarding this. After this the Muizzu government removed its three ministers.