The Indian High Commission in the Maldives has alleged that some local media outlets have been spreading “fake reports” with the intention to harass and intimidate the mission’s officials and the expatriate community in the country.
“These fake reports are designed to create a climate of hate and fear among the Maldivian public with the intention to adversely affect the friendly relations between India and Maldives,” a press statement issued by the high commission said on Friday.
The High Commission noted that the relationship between India and Maldives was based on mutual trust and respect.
“Such irresponsible acts by motivated ‘mediapersons’ peddling agenda-driven fake reports need to be condemned in the strongest terms,” the Indian High Commission said. “We also call upon the Maldivian authorities to investigate such instances of fake news circulation which are being brazenly carried out in the name of journalism.”
It is, however, not clear as to which “fake reports” the Indian High Commission is referring to.
The statement by the Indian Embassy came a day after Maldivian Finance Minister Ibrahim Ameer denied reports claiming that he had met with the Indian High Commissioner in the Maldives to seek a loan of 3 billion Maldivian Rufiyaa (nearly Rs 1,620 crore) from New Delhi, according to Sun Online.
Ameer categorically denied any such meeting or loan request made to India by the Maldivian government.
Maldives is currently undergoing presidential elections. The first round of voting was held on September 9 and the second round is scheduled for September 30.
Opposition parties in the Maldives have been critical of incumbent President Ibrahim Solih’s relationship with India. They have been running an “India Out” campaign since 2020 to target their government.
In April 2022, such protests had been banned after they gained traction under the leadership of former President Abdulla Yameen. At that time, the protestors had alleged that the government had become “a puppet of New Delhi” and was allowing India to have a military presence in the island country.
In 2018, the Maldives government had issued a clarification after media reports claimed that India was planning to offer it a loan of $1 billion in exchange for permanent deployment of Indian troops in the country. The reports had cited unidentified Indian officials saying that the loan was conditioned on Male distancing itself from China as well as on allowing India to deploy its security personnel to the island nation.
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