NEW DELHI: India on Friday categorically denied allegations in a US newpaper report that the opposition in the Maldives sought $6 million from New Delhi to facilitate a plot to impeach president Mohamed Muizzu.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) described the claims as baseless and “without credibility,” asserting that both the newspaper and the reporter involved display “a compulsive hostility towards India”.
“These are articles that you referred were published by Washington Post, one on Maldives and the other one in relation to Pakistan. So to that, 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 leave you to judge their credibility. As far as we are concerned, they have none,” Randhir Jaiswal said in a weekly press briefing.
The controversy stemmed from a report by The Washington Post, which claimed that Maldivian opposition politicians proposed bribing 40 members of parliament, including those from Muizzu’s party, as part of an alleged impeachment scheme. This report was based on an internal document titled “Democratic Renewal Initiative”.
The report also claimed that a senior officer from India’s intelligence agency, R&AW, “explored” a plan to overthrow President Muizzu months after he assumed office.
Former Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed, who leads the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), also refuted the report, stating he was unaware of any “serious plot” against President Muizzu. He emphasised that India has consistently supported democracy in the Maldives and would never engage in such actions.
Also read: MEA’s dig at Pakistan foreign minister’s ‘two to tango’ comment on bilateral ties
Covert killings in Pakistan?
Over Washington Post’s report claiming that India had carried out covert killings in Pakistan targetting Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Muhammad terrorists, the MEA spokesperson warned the neighbour of terrorist groups.
“On Pakistan, I would like to quote to you what [former US Secretary of State ] Hillary Clinton said, ‘you can’t keep snakes in your backyard and expect them only to bite your neighbours’…”, said MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal.
Back in 2011, Clinton, in a blunt message to Pakistan, urged Islamabad to do more to eliminate safe havens for extremism in the interest of the world and their citizens.
Addressing a joint presser with then Pakistani foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar in Islamabad, Clinton had said: “It’s like that old story – you can’t keep snakes in your backyard and expect them only to bite your neighbours. Eventually those snakes are going to turn on whoever has them in the backyard.”