India-Maldives row: Muizzu changes tune, says Indian troops cannot be removed with 'short tempers' - Business Today

India-Maldives row: Muizzu changes tune, says Indian troops cannot be removed with 'short tempers'  Business Today

Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu, who is determined to remove Indian troops from the country, appears to be moderating his stance a bit under pressure from the public and opposition parties in the archipelago nation. Muizzu, who is pro-China, last month gave a deadline of March 15 to India to withdraw about 80 troops stationed there. After returning from his first China visit, he also launched a broadside against India saying, in the presence of Indian Ambassador Munu Mahawar, "We may be small but that doesn't give you the license to bully us."

However, Muizzu has now said Male cannot produce results by being short-tempered during talks for the removal of Indian soldiers from the Maldives, local news organisation Adhadhu reported on Thursday. "These are things that can be achieved by talking nicely and properly explaining in a manner that everyone could believe that our country is an independent and democratic country," Muizzu said. "You can't achieve things by being short-tempered."

Also read: 'Maldives' economy in trouble': Muizzu says can't launch development projects due to high debt
  
Muizzu came to power on an 'India Out' campaign. After taking over as President, he visited China instead of New Delhi, which was the tradition. His government also ordered Turkish drones to patrol the exclusive economic zone, which was so far patrolled jointly with the Indian Navy.

But Muizzu's verbal attack on India has upset his countrymen and opposition parties, who believe the Maldivian President should not have gone so far as to call New Delhi a 'bully'. They also said that Muizzu should have followed proper diplomatic rules while conveying his grievances to New Delhi.

On Thursday, the Maldivian President admitted that established rules and norms should be followed to produce results. "It will be very easy to criticize from afar. Anyone can do that. But reality doesn't change because of that criticism. Things can be achieved when you do things the way it's supposed to be done," he said.

Muizzu also tried to contain the diplomatic fallout by saying he was not the enemy of any country. He said other people were trying to pin that label on the government. "We are not being an enemy. It is other people who want to create that enmity. They want to use that label. I say what I say very clearly, very directly, so clearly that you can't take a second meaning from it," he was quoted as saying by Adhadhu.

Ex-President Yameen blames deputy ministers for strained ties with India

Meanwhile, former President Abdulla Yameen, who also favoured China during his term from 2013 to 2018, has said that Male's long-standing friendly relations with India deteriorated due to the derogatory remarks by three deputy ministers against PM Modi. He said he had no hostility towards New Delhi despite launching the "India Out" campaign to remove Indian soldiers from Maldives. "To a level that we cannot accept, three people who were in responsible positions used insulting language and made derogatory remarks. That is what the Indian government cannot accept," he was quoted as saying by Adhadhu.

Jumhooree Party (JP) leader Qasim Ibrahim said Muizzu must formally apologize to India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his verbal attacks. Qasim referred to Muizzu's statement where he said the Maldives was not in the backyard of any particular country and that the Maldives would not allow other countries to "bully". 

Indian Troops in Maldives

India has 77 Indian soldiers in Maldives besides 12 medical personnel from the Indian armed forces. These soldiers provide help with humanitarian aid and medical evacuations for the residents. New Delhi has given Male two helicopters and a Dornier aircraft, which are mostly used for marine surveillance, search and rescue operations, and medical evacuations. The Indian troops manage these operations.