The ongoing tension between Maldives and India is likely to increase further.
Maldives has alleged that the Indian Coast Guard boarded three Maldivian fishing vessels recently.
Now the Maldives government has sought more comprehensive information from the Indian government about why Indian coast guards boarded Maldivian ships.
Relations between India and Maldives have turned sour since the elections held in Maldives last year. Maldives has also given an ultimatum to the Indian Army to return from there.
Amid deteriorating relations with India, Maldives is moving closer to China and even recently, Maldives President Mohammed Muizzu had met President Xi Jinping while visiting China. Since then, Maldives’ attitude has changed and it is even daring to show its eyes to India.
However, there has been no response from the Indian government on these allegations of Maldives yet.
Maldives Defense Ministry claimed in a statement on Friday that on January 31, the Indian Coast Guard intercepted a Maldivian fishing boat engaged in fishing activities within the Exclusive Economic Zone of Maldives.
It was alleged that three fishing boats boarded within the Exclusive Economic Zone of the Maldives without prior consultation with the relevant authorities, thereby violating international maritime laws and regulations.
Subsequently, the Government of Maldives has initiated an official request through the Ministry of External Affairs, seeking comprehensive details of the incident from the Government of India. The boarding teams of Indian Coast Guard Ship 246 and Indian Coast Guard Ship 253 were responsible for interrogating the fishing boats, the statement said.
45-year-old Muizzu had defeated Ibrahim Mohammad Solih in the presidential election held in September last year.
After becoming President, Muizzu formally requested India to withdraw 88 military personnel from the country by March 15 and said that the people of Maldives have given him a strong mandate to make this request to New Delhi.
Amidst the dispute with Maldives, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had recently visited Lakshadweep and shared some pictures from there on social media.
After this, three ministers of Maldives gave derogatory statements against PM Modi, which further increased the tension between the two countries.
Later all three were suspended by the Maldives government. India on Friday said it has agreed to a set of mutually practical solutions with the Maldives for the continued operation of Indian aviation platforms in the Maldives.
Currently, around 80 Indian military personnel are in Maldives primarily to operate two helicopters and one aircraft, which have carried out hundreds of medical evacuations and humanitarian missions.
India has been providing humanitarian and medical evacuation services to the people of Maldives for the last few years.
After the high-level meeting in New Delhi, the Maldives Foreign Ministry said India will replace its military personnel operating three aviation platforms in the Maldives by May 10 and the first phase of the process will be completed by March 10.