Diplomatic Row: Maldives Is Now In Chinese 'Sphere Of Influence', Says Manish Tewari

Amid a diplomatic row with Maldives, Congress leader Manish Tewari on Monday said the island nation is now in the Chinese "sphere of influence" and there needs to be a reality check.

"Maldives is now in the Chinese sphere of influence. Sri Lanka has bent to the Chinese wind. China is gobbling up territory in Bhutan. China has accumulated disproportionate influence over the polity in Nepal. The Military Junta in Myanmar for decades has been beholden to the Communist Party of China (CPC). Pakistan is a client state of China. China has developed proximate ties to the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. Chinese economic influence in Bangladesh is also on the ascendant. What is India‘s influence in South Asia currently? Folks need to take a reality check!," the Congress MP said in a post on X.

The Maldivian envoy to India was on Monday summoned to the external affairs ministry and conveyed its strong concerns over disparaging social media posts against Prime Minister Narendra Modi by three now-suspended-ministers as the backlash over the remarks continued for the second day.

In Male, the Maldivian government conveyed to Indian High Commissioner Munu Mahawar that the remarks against Modi do not represent its views.

Deputy ministers in the youth ministry Malsha Shareef, Mariyam Shiuna and Abdulla Mahzoom Majid were suspended on Sunday by the government of President Mohamed Muizzu over their posts.

The Maldivian president is in China on a week-long trip.