India to withdraw troops from Maldives by March 10 amidst growing tensions
Male: Amid deteriorating diplomatic relations between India and Maldives, New Delhi has announced its decision to commence the withdrawal of its troops deployed in the archipelago.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the decision came as a result of talks between the two nations in the Indian capital.
The Maldives’ foreign ministry said, New Delhi has agreed to start pulling out its 89 personnel from the archipelago by March 10, with the complete withdrawal expected to be finalized within two months.
This move comes in the wake of the Maldives actively realigning itself with China, following the election of President Mohamed Muizzu in September. President Muizzu had explicitly demanded the withdrawal of Indian troops from the Maldives.
While the official statement from the Indian government did not explicitly mention the withdrawal, it noted that both nations had agreed on “mutually workable solutions” to allow the continued operation of Indian aviation platforms, which provide humanitarian and medevac services to the Maldives.
Tensions between the two neighbors escalated recently when junior ministers from the Maldives referred to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a “clown” and a “terrorist” in social media posts, which were later deleted.
The development has also sparked reactions in India, with calls for a boycott of the Maldives from some Bollywood actors and cricket personalities.
