Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu outlined his government's "India Out" policy during his inaugural speech to the parliament, emphasising the termination of agreements jeopardising the nation's sovereignty.
Despite his address to the People’s Majlis, only 24 lawmakers attended, as the top two Opposition parties boycotted the session due to their disagreement with Muizzu's anti-India stance, holding a majority in the House.
Muizzu affirmed ‘the support’ of the Maldivian people for his administration's goal of removing foreign soldiers, reclaiming lost territory from Maldivian waters, and annulling any deals compromising sovereignty, without explicitly naming India.
In Parliament, Muizzu disclosed the phased withdrawal of Indian military personnel, with the initial group leaving on March 10 and the remainder departing by May 10, 2024, as per an agreement announced by the Maldivian foreign ministry.
This agreement followed discussions during the second meeting of the high-level core group in New Delhi, although the Indian Ministry of External Affairs' statement on Friday omitted mention of this accord.
Approximately 80 Indian unarmed personnel currently stationed in the Maldives support operations involving two Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopters and a Dornier aircraft, gifted to the Maldives National Defence Forces (MNDF), in addition to providing military training.
These helicopters have facilitated medical evacuations from various islands, resulting in the rescue of nearly 500 lives since January 2019.
Despite the significance of Muizzu's address, attendance at the parliamentary session was sparse, with 56 MPs boycotting, including 13 from the Democrats and 43 from the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), citing concerns over the government's perceived undemocratic practices.
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