President Mohamed Muizzu, on Thursday, condemned the actions of deputy ministers in his administration for insulting and ridiculing India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Muizzu, during his current visit to the United States of America to attend the United Nations General Assembly, was speaking at the Dean’s Leadership Series at Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs.
“Nobody should say such things, and I definitely took action on that,” the head of state acknowledged during a question-and-answer session that followed his speech at the university.
Malsha Shareef and Mariyam Shiuna—both Deputy Ministers at the Ministry of Youth, Employment, Information and Arts—had called Modi a “clown” and a “terrorist,” leading to their suspension, with pay, for a period of more than eight months. However, both resigned their positions on 10 September, when Muizzu announced his first official visit to India. The administration later thanked them for their services.
Muizzu also spoke about the recent breakdown in bilateral relations with India, explaining that it was never his intention to sever ties with the neighbour and regional power.
“It’s not “India Out.” We had a really serious problem of having the presence of foreign military in our country… Even one foreign military person in the Maldives is not something the Maldivian people accept,” he said.
Relations with India had deteriorated after Muizzu came into office, starting with the friction over expelling the Indian troops who were operating various aircraft, mainly used for emergencies, donated under set preconditions by India.
The troops have since been replaced with Indian civilian contractors, and while the administration had paused the use of the aircraft for a time, some have recently resumed operations.
Muizzu had also, after completing a visit to China, criticised India for allegedly attempting to control the Maldives, later going on to present a plan to eliminate the Maldives’ dependence on India for imports of goods and medical treatment.
During the parliamentary election campaign, the President criticised members of the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party, saying they were working like slaves under foreign influence.
