Jaishankar breaks silence on India-Maldives diplomatic row
Amid the ongoing diplomatic row between India and Maldives, Indian External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar on Monday said that "politics is politics," and there is no guarantee that every country will always support New Delhi. This is the foreign minister's first statement on the controversy, triggered after multiple Maldivian ministers made derogatory remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent visit to Lakshadweep. Jaishankar made the comments during the "Manthan" townhall meeting in Nagpur district of Maharashtra.
Why does this story matter?
The statement comes amid a diplomatic row over derogatory remarks made by some Maldivian politicians, including three ministers, against Prime Minister Narendra Modi after he posted pictures of his recent visit to Lakshadweep. The controversy started with now-suspended deputy minister Mariyam Shiuna calling the Indian PM a "clown" and a "puppet of Israel" in a series of now-deleted X posts. India flagged the matter with the Maldives government, after which the three ministers were suspended.
India's focus on building strong connections globally
The foreign minister said that India's endeavor over the past decade has been to "build a very strong connect" with other nations. This helps in fostering positive sentiments among people, he said. "Politics may go up and down, but the people of that nation generally have good feelings towards India and understand the importance of having good relations," said the EAM.
Watch: Jaishankar's address at "Manthan" townhall
India involved in infrastructure development of other nations
Jaishankar also talked about New Delhi's involvement in the infrastructure development of other countries. "We are involved today in building roads, electricity, transmission, supplying fuel, providing trade access, making investments, and having people holiday in other countries," Jaishankar said, adding that "all these are parts of how you develop those relationships." "Sometimes, things do not go in a good way, and then you have to reason with people to bring things back to where they should be," he added.
Maldives president sets deadline for Indian troop withdrawal
Recently, Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu set a March 15 deadline for India on Sunday to remove all its military personnel from the island nation. This decision came after Muizzu's visit to China and his meeting with President Xi Jinping. Subsequently, a high-level group between India and Maldives has been formed to discuss the withdrawal of Indian troops.
Know about Indian military's presence in Maldives
At of now, there are around 88 Indian troops stationed in the island nation, operating India-sponsored radars and surveillance aircraft. Indian warships in the area also assist in patrolling the country's exclusive economic zone. Last year in October, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated that New Delhi's cooperation with Male is based on jointly addressing shared priorities and challenges.
