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On impeachment motion against Maldives President, India says ‘internal matter’
Earlier this week, an MP in Maldives claimed that they have garnered enough signatures to file for an impeachment motion against Mohamed Muizzu.
India on Thursday refused to comment on reports that the main opposition party of Maldives, which holds a majority in the Parliament, is set to file an impeachment motion against President Mohamed Muizzu.
Addressing a weekly media briefing, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that these are internal matters of the country.
"These are internal matters of Maldives and we would not like to comment on that," Jaiswal told reporters.
Earlier this week, an MP of the Maldivian Democratic Party in Opposition said that his party along with others have garnered enough signatures to file for an impeachment motion against Muizzu. He, however, added that the Opposition is yet to submit it in the Parliament.
The development came a day after violence erupted in the Maldives Parliament as government MPs from the pro-government parties People’s National Congress (PNC) and Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) disrupted proceedings and confronted the Speakers.
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The clash broke out during a special session which was convened to seek parliamentary approval for the ministers in President Mohamed Muizzu's cabinet.
Muizzu, 45, defeated India-friendly incumbent Ibrahim Mohamed Solih in the presidential runoff held in September last year. Since his election, a diplomatic tussle has been underway between Maldives and India over several issues.
The diplomatic row began with Muizzu demanding India withdraw its troops from the island nation within 24 hours of his swearing-in.
Muizzu's decision to visit Turkey after swearing in and breaking the tradition of making New Delhi the first international destination as a nod to India’s influence in the island nation also raised eyebrows.
The tension further escalated after unruly comments by three Maldivian ministers on social media against Prime Minister Narendra Modi after he posted some pictures from his Lakshadweep visit.
The Maldives agreed earlier this week to allow a Chinese research vessel to dock at Male port against India’s apprehension about the Chinese navy's growing forays in the Indian Ocean.
The Maldives' proximity to India, barely 70 nautical miles from the island of Minicoy in Lakshadweep and 300 nautical miles from the mainland's western coast, and its location at the hub of commercial sea lanes running through the Indian Ocean Region gives it significant strategic importance.
