The Maldivian President, Mohamed Muizzu, has proposed that the Indian government withdraw its military presence from the archipelago nation before March 15. This comes amid the strained diplomatic relations between the two nations over recent derogatory comments by Maldivian ministers targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In November 2023, Muizzu, the new president of the Maldives, who campaigned on a platform of reducing ties with India and increasing engagement with China, officially requested India to withdraw its military personnel stationed in the country.

India has maintained a small military presence in the Maldives for several years at the request of the previous Maldivian government. According to the latest government figures, there are 88 Indian military personnel in the Maldives at present, primarily tasked with assisting in maritime security and disaster relief.

A senior Maldivian official, Abdulla Nazim Ibrahim, confirmed the development and said, “Indian military personnel cannot stay in the Maldives. This is the policy of President Dr Mohamed Muizzu and that of this administration”.

Maldives and India have set up a high-level core group to negotiate the withdrawal of troops.