There are No Indian troops in Maldives except few Technicians to Support leave Maldives but……
President Solih, who championed an “India First” policy, continues in office until Muizzu is inaugurated on Nov. 17. Thereafter what happens ….can the PLA of China just walk in …..all bunkum.India is fully capable of defending its interests. By now Canada knows it fully well and the USA and China too have seen the Indian resolve.
In the past the Maldives Opposition parties have viewed India’s overwhelming influence as a potential threat to sovereignty and Muizzu accused the South Asian nation of aiming to establish a permanent military presence in the Indian Ocean archipelago. They have very conveniently obfuscated the economic slavery towards which China had pushed Maldives under Yameen.
Foreign military forces cannot stay in the Maldives, president-elect Mohamed Muizzu told a rally celebrating his victory in closely watched weekend presidential elections that are expected to redraw ties with India and China. Muizzu, beat incumbent President Ibrahim Solih in a second-round runoff on Saturday, is backed by a coalition known to be close to China, and championed an “India Out” campaign a few years ago, against a small unit of Indian military.
“All the countries which agree to our pro-Maldives policy will be our close friends and allies,” Muizzu told supporters at Monday’s event.
“We will send back foreign soldiers in the Maldives,” he added, without naming any country.
India, with traditionally close ties to Male, denies that assertion, and says that it is just helping to build a naval harbour for Maldivian forces to be trained by its military.
New Delhi will “wait and watch” Muizzu’s policies, a senior Indian government official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“He has to work with us, and we have to work with him,” the official added, emphasising that India was “not anti-Maldives”.
The World including China knows, that just like the case of Sri Lanka, India cannot afford to permit foreign interference by any third countries in the affairs of Maldives. It takes days to cross the Sunda straight and reach Maldives for any ship. The Indian Navy can be off Male much before. To keep PLAN vessels out of Maldives, the Indian Navy has to just station a few ships off the territorial Waters of Maldives.
