Why is Muizzu so adamant that Indian forces evacuate the Maldives? And why are there any Indian forces at all stationed in the islands? What makes them strong?
A high-level core group has been established by India and the Maldives to negotiate the troop withdrawal. On Sunday morning, the group met for the first time at the Foreign Ministry Headquarters in Male. According to Maldivian media sources, Indian High Commissioner Munu Mahawar attended the conference as well.
The Indian government refrained from commenting or verifying the media report right away.
At different times, Indian soldiers have been dispatched to the Maldives to train Maldivian forces in combat, reconnaissance, and rescue/aid operations. Yet, there have been some Maldivian nationals, including politicians who have criticised their presence in any capacity in the country. Analysts in the Maldives and India claim that the ‘India Out’ campaign has inflated the role that these soldiers play in the Maldives and have framed their presence as a threat to the country’s national security.
Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu has suggested that New Delhi remove its military forces from the archipelago nation by March 15th, as per a story published by India Today on Sunday, amid a diplomatic spat with India. Muizzu returned from China a few days ago, and now he is proposing. The pro-China president of the Maldives ran on an anti-India platform for election last year. Soon after coming to office, he formally asked New Delhi to withdraw its troops from Maldives.