India rejects talks with Maldives opposition to overthrow govt
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that the report lacked authenticity.
Indian government on Friday dismissed a recent article in The Washington Post as baseless, which alleged that India had engaged in discussions with the Maldivian opposition to overthrow the current government.
The statement comes in response to a report published by The Washington Post, which cited a document from the Indian intelligence agency, RAW, that suggested India had been working with the Maldivian opposition to destabilise the government.
During a press conference held on Friday, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that the report lacked authenticity. He characterised the claims as unfounded and an attempt to portray India in a negative light.
"I would say that both the newspaper and the reporter in question appear to nurse a compulsive hostility towards India. You can see a pattern in their activities. I lead you to judge their credibility. As far as we are concerned, they have none," he said.
The Washington Post report, titled 'A Plot in Paradise and India's Struggle for Influence in Asia,' refers to a document by the Indian intelligence agency. According to the report, the document, known as the 'Democratic Renewal Initiative,' claimed that the opposition had sought MVR 87 million (approximately $6 million) from India to bribe 40 members of parliament, 10 senior security officials, and three powerful gangs in an effort to destabilise President Mohamed Muizzu’s administration.
However, the report clarifies that despite these secretive discussions, the attempt to overthrow the government failed to make significant progress. Furthermore, the document suggests that India did not expend any resources on this endeavour.
The Washington Post article indicates that it remains unclear whether the Indian government was involved in or aware of these alleged efforts to undermine the Maldivian government.
This incident has added fuel to the ongoing debate over India’s role in the Maldives' domestic politics. India has historically been a strong ally of the Maldives, particularly in terms of security, economic assistance, and diplomatic relations. However, tensions have occasionally risen, especially as political leadership in the Maldives has shifted between pro-India and more China-leaning factions in recent years.
