The Chhattisgarh

Tag: Maldives

  • Parliament Brawl Erupts In Maldives Over Cabinet Approval, Video Goes Viral | world news

    A brawl broke out in the Maldives parliament on Sunday night, with opposition lawmakers reportedly slapping the speaker and injuring a fellow lawmaker. The incident occurred during a heated debate over the approval of President Mohamed Muizzu’s new cabinet. Opposition lawmakers had raised concerns about the inclusion of several ministers who they accused of corruption.

    In a video that has gone viral, opposition lawmaker Ahmed Shiyam can be seen slapping Speaker Mohamed Nasheed. Nasheed, who is also the former president of the Maldives, was trying to restore order in the chamber.

    The opposition coalition, which holds a majority in parliament, argues that the four cabinet members were appointed without proper consultation and should not be confirmed. They have also accused the Solih government of being increasingly authoritarian.

    The government, however, has defended the appointments, saying they were made in accordance with the constitution. They have accused the opposition of trying to obstruct the democratic process. The standoff has left the country in a state of political limbo. The parliament has been adjourned indefinitely, and it is unclear when or how the impasse will be resolved.

    Maldives Parliament Chaos: Viral Videos

    The chaos in the parliament was captured on video by lawmakers and members of the public. The videos show opposition lawmakers pushing and shoving their way into the chamber, while government security forces try to hold them back.

    Total chaos in Maldives Parliament as vote on Parliamentary approval of Muizzu’s Cabinet is being conducted.

    First the Opposition MP’s were prevented from entering, then Ruling party MPs attempted to prevent speaker from conducting session. Democracy is getting crushed! pic.twitter.com/Jj8VkyJnEb

    — Megh Updates (@MeghUpdates) January 28, 2024

    One video shows a female opposition lawmaker being dragged out of the chamber by her hair. Another video shows a government lawmaker throwing a water bottle at an opposition MP. The videos have been widely shared on social media, sparking outrage and concern among Maldivians. Many are calling for calm and dialogue to resolve the political crisis.

    Concerns for Democracy

    The recent events have raised concerns about the state of democracy in the Maldives. The country has a long history of political instability, and there are fears that the current standoff could lead to further violence.

  • Maldives President Mohammad Muizzu Under Fire Over ‘Anti-India’ Stance, Opposition Calls It ‘Detrimental’ To Development |

    MALE: Amid escalating tensions in India-Maldives relations, triggered by President Mohammad Muizzu’s call for the withdrawal of Indian troops from Maldivian waters, coupled with diplomatic clashes over derogatory remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, two opposition parties, the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and The Democrats, have come together in condemning the government’s pronounced anti-India pivot.

    A Stark Shift In Foreign Policy Sparks Opposition Outcry

    In a joint press statement, the MDP and The Democrats vehemently expressed their concern, denouncing the foreign policy shift as ‘extremely detrimental’ to the nation’s long-term development. The statement reiterated the Opposition’s belief that alienating a longstanding ally like India poses a significant threat to the country’s progress.

    Opposition’s Emphasis On Stability And Security In the Indian Ocean

    The Opposition emphasized the indispensable role of stability and security in the Indian Ocean for the overall well-being of the Maldives. Stressing the historical collaboration with India, they underscored the critical need for successive governments to maintain relationships with all development partners for the benefit of the Maldivian people.

    China’s Growing Influence And Indian Concerns

    Recent reports of a Chinese research vessel heading to the Maldives have raised eyebrows, especially following President Muizzu’s recent state visit to China. The Maldives Ministry of Foreign Affairs reassured that the country welcomes vessels from ‘friendly nations,’ but concerns have been voiced in New Delhi, given the historical context of similar situations in Sri Lanka in 2022.

    Agreement To Fast-Track Indian Troops Withdrawal

    On January 14, India and the Maldives reached an agreement to expedite the withdrawal of Indian military personnel from the island nation. This move aligns with Muizzu’s election promise and has led to heightened tensions, considering the longstanding military cooperation between the two countries.

    Row Over Disparaging Remarks On PM Modi And Lakshadweep Visit

    A significant dispute unfolded after a Maldivian deputy minister and other officials made derogatory references to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Lakshadweep and his vision for developing the region into a global beach tourism destination.

    Government’s Attempt To Distance Itself From Controversy 

    Maldivian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Moosa Zameer, swiftly distanced the government from the disparaging remarks, labeling them as “unacceptable” and clarifying that they do not reflect the official position of the government. The incident adds to the complexity of the evolving diplomatic scenario between India and the Maldives.

  • Chinese Research Vessel Heading To Maldives: Report | world news

    BEIJING: A Chinese research vessel is heading to Maldives, Reuters reported, citing an Indian military official and an independent researcher. The timing coincides with Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu’s recent state visit to China, aimed at strengthening ties. This development raises concerns in New Delhi, as India has previously viewed the presence of such vessels near its shores, including in Sri Lanka in 2022, as problematic. These vessels are not military ships officially. However, it will spark concerns for India and others about the military use of their research.

    Relations between India and the Maldives have strained since President Muizzu took office in November, shifting the government’s focus towards China and requesting the withdrawal of nearly 80 Indian troops stationed in the Maldives, according to Reuters report. The Chinese vessel is heading to Male, according to post shared by open source intelligence researcher Damien Symon on social media platform to run an ocean survey operation in the Indian Ocean region raising concern in #India”.

    An Indian military official has confirmed Symon’s finding and said they are monitoring its movement, Reuters reported. Previously, India has flagged similar visits by other Chinese research vessels with its neighbor Sri Lanka, which has not permitted China to dock such vessels on its ports since 2022. This comes as India and the Maldives on January 14 “agreed to fast-track the withdrawal of Indian military personnel” from the island nation, according to the Maldives’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

    On January 14, India and Maldives held a core group meeting. During the meeting, both sides deliberated on finding a “mutually workable solution” to ensure the “continued operation” of Indian aviation platforms providing humanitarian and Medvec services, the Ministry of External Affairs said. The MEA announced that the next meeting will be held in the national capital. During the core group meeting, both nations delved “on several aspects of the bilateral relationship,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said during a weekly briefing on January 18 while sharing insights on the deliberations that took place in the meeting.

    “We mentioned that both sides held discussions on finding a mutually workable solution to enable continued operation of Indian aviation platforms that provide humanitarian and Medvec services to the people of the Maldives,” he also said. “The next meeting is to be held in India to take discussions forward. So that is where the situation as far as the Maldives is concerned,” Jaiswal added.

    When asked if India received a formal request from Maldives to withdraw the Indian military, Jaiswal said, “Whatever’s discussed was put out in the press release. That is where the situation actually stands. It is an ongoing process. Both sides held discussions on finding mutually workable solutions…This is an ongoing discussion, so things will go forward or things will be discussed in the next meeting of the core group subsequently soon.”

    Recently, Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu and First Lady Sajidha Mohamed traveled to China for a state visit. Upon arrival at Velana International Airport, Mohamed Muizzu announced that agreements to assist the Maldives in expanding agricultural growth to cater to food security were signed with the Chinese government. The agreements were signed following the official talks between China and Maldives during Muizzu’s state visit to China. The two nations exchanged 20 key agreements at the signing ceremony.

    Speaking on the agreements signed between the two nations, Muizzu stated that deliberations were conducted to initiate a specific agricultural scheme at Uthuru Thila Falhu (UTF), the Maldives President’s Office said in a press release. He stressed that the envisioned project will guarantee the cultivation of the most frequently used agricultural commodities, sufficient for a minimum population of 200,000 people.

  • Maldives Says India Agreed To ‘Fast-Track Withdrawal’ Of Forces | world news

    MALE: India and Maldives have “agreed to fast-track the withdrawal of Indian military personnel” from the island nation, according to Maldives’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The first meeting of the High-Level Core Group between the Maldives and India took place in Male’ on Sunday.

    “During the meeting held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Maldives, both sides reviewed the existing bilateral cooperation. Discussions were held on a wide range of issues of mutual interest, including development cooperation,” the Maldives’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a press release.

    “Both sides expressed willingness to intensify cooperation and agreed to fast-track the withdrawal of Indian military personnel,” it also said. “It was agreed that the second meeting of the High-Level Core Group will be held at a mutually convenient time,” it added.

    Earlier in the day, the Ministry of External Affairs said that India and the Maldives discussed finding a mutually workable solution to continue the operation of Indian aviation platforms that provide humanitarian and medical evacuation services to the people of the Maldives.

    India and Maldives also discussed enhancing bilateral cooperation and expediting the implementation of ongoing projects. Maldives local media today also reported that Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu has asked the Indian government to withdraw the Indian troops from the island nation before March 15.

    Notably, the removal of Indian troops in the Maldives was the main campaign of Muizzu’s party. Currently, there are around 70 Indian troops, along with Dornier 228 maritime patrol aircraft and two HAL Dhruv helicopters, stationed in the Maldives.

    On the second day of assuming office, Muizzu officially requested the Indian government to withdraw its military personnel from the Maldives. In December last year, President Muizzu claimed that, after dialogue with the Indian government, an agreement was reached to withdraw Indian military personnel.

  • Maldives Opposition Leader Stresses On ‘Tougher Stand To Repair’ Ties With India | world news

    Amid the setback for the Maldives’ tourism industry, not only the tourism bodies of the island nation but even the opposition leaders are now mounting pressure on the Muizzu government to mend ties with India before it gets too late. Amid the diplomatic row after disparaging comments against India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi by Male ministers, the Government of India not only raised the issue officially but lodged a strong protest by summoning the Maldives ambassador to India.

    Amid the ongoing row, opposition leader and the Chairperson of the Maldivian Democratic Party, Fayyaz Ismail, has called for a “tougher stand” by the Muizzu government. He said that the racist comments against India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi were just isolated individual opinions of these people. He also underlined how the entire matter has reached a lot of Indians as well as Maldivians, due to easy accessibility of social media.

    “I personally believe the government should take a tougher stand on that because this goes beyond government to government. Now, because of the easy accessibility of social media, this has reached to a lot of Indians and to a lot of Maldivians. And as arguments take over from both side, there has been a lot of insults coming back and forth. So the government needs to show that there was no intention on the part of the government. These were just isolated individual opinions of these people who, unfortunately, were given positions in the government. So that needs to be clearly shown to the Indians, to the Maldivians, and to the entire world at large,” he told ANI.

    On the other hand, Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu is on a China visit where he is likely to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping and sign key agreements. During this visit, Muizzu has urged China to increase tourists to the island nation. China has also reacted sharply to the diplomatic row by accusing India of ‘Hegemonic Mentality’ and ‘Lack Of Confidence’. China has earlier said that it never asked Maldives to reject India.

    On January 2, PM Modi visited the Union Territory of Lakshadweep and shared several pictures, including an ‘exhilarating experience’ of him trying his hand at snorkelling. In a series of posts on your list.”

    In a post that has now been deleted, the Maldivian Deputy Minister of Youth Empowerment, Mariyam Shiuna, made a mocking and disrespectful reference to PM Modi. Indians, including cricketers and film celebrities, have since come out in open support in promoting local beach destinations and other tourist spots. They also voiced support for PM Modi’s call for promoting beach tourism in Lakshadweep.