IndiaTheNews Exclusive: Will the new President of Maldives really support China instead of India?

This week in IndiaTheNews News Network’s special program Shaurya Path, we wanted to know from Brigadier Shri DS Tripathi (Retd.) that China-backed Mohammed Muiz has won the presidential election in Maldives. As soon as he was elected, some of his statements have also come out which can be seen as anti-India. How do you see it? On this he said that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the first to congratulate the newly elected President of Maldives and reiterated his resolve to deepen the relations between the two countries. He said that whatever Mohammed Muiz has said in the excitement among his supporters was a bit like election campaigning but when he takes office, he will know many things. He said that they would then understand how China had tricked the Maldives into debt while India had pulled the Maldives out of the biggest economic crisis in its history. He said that in the Corona epidemic, be it vaccine, food or financial help, India never left any shortage.

Brigadier Shri DS Tripathi (Retired) said that cooperation and help related to defense and security is always done by two countries with mutual consent, India has never forcibly deployed its security personnel or soldiers in any country. He said that after assuming office, the new President of Maldives will understand that if he sides with China and moves away from India, all the western countries including America may stop helping him, then he will definitely change his stance. He said that the sentiment of the people of Maldives is also to live together with India, hence the new President will have to take care of it. He said that apart from this, the newly elected President of Maldives will also soon understand how beneficial the projects being run in Maldives with the help of India are for his country.

Brigadier Shri DS Tripathi (Retd) said that as far as China is concerned, its President has also expressed commitment to deepen relations with Maldives. He said that Chinese President Xi Jinping has also congratulated the newly elected President of Maldives Mohammed Muiz. He said we have to keep in mind that Muizz is a close aide of former Maldives President Abdulla Yameen, who cultivated close ties with China during his tenure as president from 2013 to 2018. Currently, Yameen is serving an 11-year jail sentence in a corruption case. He said that therefore the newly elected President is expected to take cautious steps.