Maldives President in India Live Updates: PM Modi meets Ibrahim Mohamed Solih in New Delhi
President of Maldives in India Live Updates: President of Maldives Ibrahim Mohamed Solih called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Hyderabad House in New Delhi on Tuesday. Solih is on a four-day visit to India from Monday.
Solih met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar after arriving in New Delhi on Monday. Jaishankar said India’s ‘neighbourhood first’ policy and Maldives’ ‘India first’ policy are “complementary” and both the policies take forward a special partnership. Solih’s visit to India comes amid wide-ranging political differences with Mohamed Nasheed, the island nation’s former president and current speaker of parliament. Both Solih and Nasheed are senior leaders of the Maldivian Democratic Party.
President of Maldives Ibrahim Mohamed Solih met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday at the Hyderabad House in New Delhi
On 23 March, the Maldivian parliament adopted an emergency resolution rejecting a planned opposition rally in the capital Male, two days later. The theme of the rally was “India out”, a slogan coined two years ago by protesters who claimed that the MDP government led by President Ibrahim Solih had “sold” Maldives to India.
What began as a general protest at the Solih government’s perceived India-friendly policies has now turned into an allegation that New Delhi has sent a large military contingent to the Maldives, a claim that the Solih government has repeatedly denied.
Maldives President Ibrahim Solih’s visit comes under the shadow of a blistering political row in the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) that has pitted him against party colleague and Speaker Mohammed Nasheed.
Over the last few months, Nasheed, who is a former President, has been speaking openly against Solih and the government. He is also opposed to Solih’s candidature in the 2023 presidential elections.
On Thursday, Nasheed’s growing hostility towards his former political supporter boiled over after police arrested his brother Ahmed Nazim. Nasheed tweeted, ‘The administration of Ibu Solih has selectively arrested my brother for homosexuality. The arrests were made against criminal procedures and are politically motivated to appease hardline extremists in the coalition.
Nasheed accused the President of pandering to Islamist hardliners. The Maldives is an Islamic republic of Sunni Muslims.
Union Minister of State Sanjeev Balyan tweeted on Monday: “Honoured to welcome Hon’ble President of the Republic of Maldives Ibrahim Mohamed Solih on his arrival in India. Welcome to India.”
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday met Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and said India’s ‘neighbourhood first’ policy and Maldives’ ‘India first’ policy are “complementary” and both the policies take forward a special partnership.
Earlier, a high-level delegation along with the President was received at the Delhi airport by Union Minister Sanjeev Balyan. Solih is also scheduled to meet President Draupadi Murmu.
This is Solih’s second official visit to India. He came once before in December 2018 days after his election. He was in Bengaluru on an unofficial visit in April 2019 to watch an IPL cricket match.
His visit comes under the shadow of a blistering political row in the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) that has pitted him against party colleague and Speaker Mohammed Nasheed. Over the last few months, Nasheed, who is a former President, has been speaking openly against Solih and the government. He is also opposed to Solih’s candidature in the 2023 presidential elections.
On Thursday, Nasheed’s fierce hostility to his former political security boiled over when police arrested his brother, Ahmed Nazim. Nasheed tweeted, ‘The administration of Ibu Solih has selectively arrested my brother for homosexuality. The arrests were made against criminal procedures and are politically motivated to appease hardline extremists in the coalition.
Nasheed accused the president of misleading Islamic fundamentalists. The Maldives is an Islamic republic of Sunni Muslims.
