Ex-pres Yameen says derogatory remarks against Modi to blame for Indo-Maldives row not "India Out" campaign

Former president Abdulla Yameen has defended the "India Out" campaign he initiated leading up to the presidential elections last year by saying that the derogatory remarks made by some senior government officials against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was to blame for the deteriorating ties with Maldives' largest neighbor. 

Hitting back at Jumhoory Party (JP) leader Gasim Ibrahim who recently blamed both Yameen and former president Mohamed Nasheed for "igniting" the current diplomatic row with India, Yameen insisted that the "India Out" campaign was a nationalistic effort with sole purpose of removing Indian troops from the island nation. 

The "nationalistic campaign" had not led to any personal animosity between the two countries, he said. 

According to Yameen, the "India Out" campaign had been going on for months prior to the elections and it had not worried Delhi.

"Some senior officials of this government made very derogatory remarks [against the Indian PM]. That's what irked India," Yameen said speaking to supporters of his newly formed PNF party.

The former president is now leading a breakaway faction from the ruling PPM/PNC coalition after falling out with his former housing minister Dr. Mohamed Muizzu who won the presidential elections last November. Yameen is serving 15 years for corruption and money laundering in the largest corruption scandal in the country's history which ruled him out of the presidential race last year. 

He was transferred to house arrest shortly after Muizzu won the presidency.