Two recent reports emerging in the American media are intended to lower India’s image at a time when there is a government change in the US. The first was an article stating that India was scheming with politicians of Maldives to have the current proChina President, Mohamad Muizzu, removed from power. The intent was to hit India’s standing in the region by highlighting its Big Brother reputation of interfering in internal affairs of neighbouring countries where current governments are not to its liking.

The report was denied by the foreign minister of Maldives, Dr Abdulla Khaleel, during his India visit as also by the MEA. In an interview to an Indian channel, Khaleel mentioned, “The claims are totally untrue, I’m not sure from where they got the evidence to base it on. But it’s totally untrue.” The MEA spokesperson commented, “Both the newspaper and the reporter in question appear to nurse a compulsive hostility towards India. You can see a pattern in their activities.” Soon after the publication of the report, the Maldivian defence minister also visited India to revive defence ties, frozen after the withdrawal of India’s military personnel manning helicopters and aircraft gifted to the Maldives. The meeting was positive. In its independent analysis, an Indian newspaper, quoting senior Indian intelligence officials, wrote “Rogue, but influential officials in the US State Department, closely associated with those pressure and lobbying groups identified as ‘anti-India’, were behind the recent report.”

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It added that these officials are unhappy with India’s growing assertiveness. The second was an article published on 31 December, accusing India of conducting........

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