Amid the diplomatic row between India and Maldives, External Affairs Minister Subramaniam Jaishankar said that “politics is politics” and there is no guarantee that every country will always support India. This was his first reaction to the ongoing controversy in Maldives, which erupted after several Maldivian ministers used derogatory comments against Prime Minister Narendra Modi following his recent visit to Lakshadweep.
“Politics is politics. I cannot guarantee that in every country, every day, everyone will support us or agree with us,” Jaishankar said while addressing the townhall ‘Manthan’ in Nagpur, Maharashtra.
The Foreign Minister further said, “What we are trying to do, and with great success over the last 10 years, is to build a very strong relationship.”
His comments come amid deteriorating diplomatic relations between Maldives and India. On Sunday (January 14), Maldivian President Mohammed Muizzu proposed that the Indian government withdraw its military presence from the island nation before March 15. Muizzu’s statement came after his visit to China, during which he called the Maldives a “close friend”.