KESHAV PADMANABHAN
New Delhi: Politicians from the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) sought “$6 million from India” to aid in a plot to impeach Maldives’ President Mohamed Muizzu, according to a report published Monday by US daily The Washington Post.
The report said that an agent from India’s foreign intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) was in touch with Maldivian opposition leaders to remove Muizzu in January, mere months after he assumed the presidency in Malé.
“In an internal document titled ‘Democratic Renewal Initiative’ obtained by The Washington Post, Maldivian opposition politicians proposed bribing 40 members of parliament, including those from Muizzu’s own party (People’s National Congress), to vote to impeach him,” the report stated.
“To pay off the various parties, the conspirators sought 87 million Maldivian rufiyaa, or $6 million, and according to two Maldivian officials, it would be sought from India,” it added.
The Post alleges that a senior R&AW officer in the Indian embassy in Washington DC explored ways to overthrow Muizzu with two intermediaries—Shirish Thorat, a former Indian Police Service officer and Savio Rodrigues, a journalist-politician who was former spokesperson of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
According to the report, both Thorat and Rodrigues confirmed to The Post that such a plan did exist but did not say whether they were working on behalf of the Indian government.
ThePrint has reached out to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) with queries on the subject, but is yet to receive a response. This report will be updated as and when a response is received.
In a statement to ThePrint, Rodrigues said he was “a soldier without a uniform”. “I will deal with existential threats to my country with all tools at my disposal,” he asserted.
Neither confirming nor denying any role in the MDP plans to impeach Muizzu, Rodrigues further said that as a journalist, he was in touch with different leaders as part of his job.
Last year, the Goa Chronicle, an online news portal which he helms, ran a series of reports alleging that family members of Muizzu were linked to terrorism plots in India.
In a long statement on ‘X’ Monday, referring to The Post report, Rodrigues said: “Their recent exposé, aimed at discrediting me, is not an indictment of my actions but a testament to the truth I represent and the challenges I confront in the defence of my country.”
“Evidence has repeatedly pointed to Maldivian terror groups aligned with ISIS and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) orchestrating covert sleeper cell operations in India,” he alleged.
“I stand by my actions, unapologetic and resolute. If defending my country requires me to act 100 times over, I will do so without hesitation. If it means shedding the last drop of my blood to ensure my nation’s safety, so be it,” he added.
India-Maldives recent ties
Muizzu was elected as president of Maldives in elections in September 2023. He had run for the post on an ‘India Out’ campaign, but has since pivoted towards friendlier ties with New Delhi.
The early days of his presidency, however, saw him eschew a visit to India, and instead travel to Türkiye and then to China in January. At the same time, three of his deputy ministers attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi in posts on social media, which led to a chill in ties.
Muizzu also pushed for the removal of the 70-odd unarmed Indian troops, who were there to man three aviation platforms for the Maldivian government, from the island archipelago. In May, the final set of Indian troops left Maldives, and they were replaced with a technical team.
The opposition MDP, which had been in power in Maldives between 2018 and 2023, had a foreign policy vision with India as a friendly country, while Muizzu’s coalition of parties have been perceived as closer to China.
In January, it was reported that the MDP had readied an impeachment motion against Muizzu, following its deal with the Democrats, another opposition party, to work together in the Maldivian parliament.
The opposition, which had a majority in House, was able to amend the parliament’s standing orders in a manner which made it easier for them to remove Muizzu. The Maldivian Supreme Court suspended the amended orders the next month, in a reprieve for the president.
In April 2024, the parliamentary elections in Maldives saw Muizzu’s coalition win an outright majority, further denting any opportunity by the opposition to remove him from office.
Muizzu has since visited India, with the State Bank of India rolling over loans worth $50 million to 2025. His visit to New Delhi this October saw the two countries reboot ties, with a currency swap agreement signed to help the island nation’s ailing economy.
source : The Print