WATCH | 'Big bullies don't give $4.5 billion aid': Jaishankar takes dig at Maldives president Mohammed Muizzu
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New Delhi, Marc 4: Taking a veiled dig at Maldives President Mohamad Muizzu, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said that "big bullies don't provide $4.5 billion aid" when neighbouring countries are in distress, in response to a question about whether India was being perceived as a "bully" in the region.
Speaking at an event while promoting his book 'Why Bharat Matters', Jaishankar pointed out India's active role in providing timely assistance to its neighbours during crisis when asked whether New Delhi was perceived as a "bully" in the subcontinent and Indian Ocean region.
The video clip of Jaishankar's response to the question quickly spread across social media platforms, gaining widespread attention.
The minister's comments amid the diplomatic row between India and Maldives that began in January when three Maldivian ministers were suspended for their derogatory remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi after he posted pictures of his visit to Lakshadweep while pitching the Union Territory as a tourist destination.
Further, he also highlighted that these actions demonstrate India's commitment to supporting its neighbors during challenging times.
"Today, at the connectivity (side), just the volume of people is moving up and down. The volume of the trade and the investments which are there, it's actually a very good story to tell. Not just with Nepal and Bangladesh, with Sri Lanka as well, I would also say even with the Maldives," the minister said.
While speaking about the bilateral ties with neighbouring, Jaishankar also took a dig at Pakistan with whom India has strained relations.
On February 5, Muizzu said that the first group of Indian military personnel will be sent back from the island nation before March 10, while the remaining Indian troops manning two aviation platforms will be withdrawn by May 10. The Maldivian President, widely seen as a pro-China leader, had said that the target was to lead the island nation to the point of having no foreign military presence in the country.
Muizzu also responded to comments that the Maldives is situated in India’s backyard. “We aren’t in anyone’s backyard. We are an independent and sovereign state,” he said.
Muizzu won the elections in October last year on the back of an 'India Out' campaign in which he pledged the removal of Indian troops from the archipelago.
Jaishankar's remark came after Muizzu, in an indirect reference to India, said in January that no country had the licence to "bully us", even though it was a tiny nation, amid a diplomatic tussle between both countries.
Speaking at an event while promoting his book 'Why Bharat Matters', Jaishankar pointed out India's active role in providing timely assistance to its neighbours during crisis when asked whether New Delhi was perceived as a "bully" in the subcontinent and Indian Ocean region.
"The big change today in this part of the world is what has happened between India and its neighbours. When you say India is perceived as a big bully, you know, big bullies don't provide $4.5 billion when the neighbours are in trouble. Big bullies don't supply vaccines to other countries when Covid-19 is on or make exceptions to their own rules to respond to food demands or fuel demands or fertiliser demands because some war in some other part of the world has complicated their lives," Jaishankar said.
Also Read: Cash-strapped Pakistan assures Maldives of help to fulfil 'development needs'
The video clip of Jaishankar's response to the question quickly spread across social media platforms, gaining widespread attention.
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— 💪🎭..Rai ji..💪🎭 (@Vinod_r108) March 3, 2024
EAM Dr Jaishankar slams neighboring country (Maldive's) President Muizzu for his comment "We can't be bullied"
"Big bullies don't provide $4.5 billion when their neighbours are in trouble. Bullies don't supply vaccines to other countries when Covid is on.…
The minister's comments amid the diplomatic row between India and Maldives that began in January when three Maldivian ministers were suspended for their derogatory remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi after he posted pictures of his visit to Lakshadweep while pitching the Union Territory as a tourist destination.
Further, he also highlighted that these actions demonstrate India's commitment to supporting its neighbors during challenging times.
“You also have to look today at what has actually changed between India and its neighbours. Certainly, with Bangladesh and Nepal, today you have a power grid. You have roads which didn't exist a decade ago. You have railways which didn't exist a decade ago. There is a usage of waterways. Indian businesses use ports of Bangladesh on a national treatment basis."
He stressed that trade and investment with Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Bangladesh and the Maldives have seen a sharp rise over the past few years.
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"Today, at the connectivity (side), just the volume of people is moving up and down. The volume of the trade and the investments which are there, it's actually a very good story to tell. Not just with Nepal and Bangladesh, with Sri Lanka as well, I would also say even with the Maldives," the minister said.
While speaking about the bilateral ties with neighbouring, Jaishankar also took a dig at Pakistan with whom India has strained relations.
“And (in the case of) Bhutan, I don't want to miss them out because they have just been consistently strong partners. So, our problem in the neighbourhood, very honestly, is with respect to one country. In diplomacy, you always hold out hopes that, yes, okay, keep at it and who knows one day what the future holds," Dr S Jaishankar said.
On February 5, Muizzu said that the first group of Indian military personnel will be sent back from the island nation before March 10, while the remaining Indian troops manning two aviation platforms will be withdrawn by May 10. The Maldivian President, widely seen as a pro-China leader, had said that the target was to lead the island nation to the point of having no foreign military presence in the country.
Muizzu also responded to comments that the Maldives is situated in India’s backyard. “We aren’t in anyone’s backyard. We are an independent and sovereign state,” he said.
Muizzu won the elections in October last year on the back of an 'India Out' campaign in which he pledged the removal of Indian troops from the archipelago.