Two Maldivian ministers who commented on PM Modi's Lakshadweep visit resign ahead of President Muizzu's visit to India

Two Maldivian ministers, suspended for making derogatory remarks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Lakshadweep visit earlier this year, tendered their resignation just a few days ahead of President Mohamed Muizzu's expected visit to India.

According to media reports, both the ministers resigned on Sep 10 citing "personal reasons". The comments made by Mariyam Shiuna and Malsha Shareef on PM Modi's visit to Lakshadweep in January this year, had sparked controversy with many Indian leaders condemning the remark.

A seemingly pro-China leader Muizzu had then ordered the suspension as part of his effort to manage relations with India.

The ministers criticized PM Modi's visit to Lakshadweep to promote local tourism, calling him a "clown," "terrorist," and “puppet of Israel.”

Earlier, after Muizzu took charge of the top office in November, the bilateral ties between India and Maldives were severely strained.

During the presidential elections, Muizzu had pledged to end the Maldives' "India first" policy in a region where New Delhi and Beijing compete for influence, a Reuters report said.

Muizzu also asked India to withdraw its military personnel right after assuming office. Last December, the Muizzu government also decided not to renew a 2019 MoU with India for hydrographic surveying.

However, Muizzu seems to have softened his stance on India recently. He even visited India on June 4 to attend PM Modi's oath-taking ceremony.

Modi govt and Male also held a defence dialogue in New Delhi last week, discussing “ongoing defence cooperation projects” and “forthcoming bilateral military exercises”.

This was the first dialogue since India withdrew military troops from the Maldives.

“The entire range of talks were productive which will advance shared interests of both the nations shortly and bring stability and prosperity in the Indian Ocean Region,” the defense ministry said on the defense dialogue, according to a report by one of the national daily.

In Aug, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar visited Male for the first high-level talk since Muizzu assumed office, to discuss all areas of bilateral cooperation and deepen the partnership between the two nations.

“To put it succinctly in the words of my Prime Minister Narendra Modi, for India, the neighbourhood is a priority and, in the neighbourhood, the Maldives is a priority. We also share the closest bonds of history and kinship,” he said.

Jaishankar also called Maldives as “one of the cornerstones of our ‘Neighborhood First’ policy… of our Vision SAGAR, as well as of our commitment to the Global South”.