Former President Abdulla Yameen has said that the Maldives' long-standing friendly relations with India have deteriorated due to the derogatory remarks by three deputy ministers at Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Speaking at a gathering at the People's National Front (PNF) office on Tuesday night, Yameen claimed that he had no personal motives or hostility towards India despite launching the "India Out" movement to remove Indian soldiers from Maldives.
"To a level that we cannot accept, three people who were in responsible positions used insulting language and made derogatory remarks. That is what the Indian government cannot accept," he said.
Yameen tried to distance himself from "personal attacks" against India and reiterated that the "India Out" movement's only objective was to remove Indian soldiers from Maldivian territory.
The former leader who is serving a jail sentence, but is currently in house detention, was the architect of the "India Out" campaign. However, it was during his government that the Maldives agreed to accept a second Indian helicopter and Dornier aircraft.
The defense agreements between India and Maldives since 2016 were also based on the Defense Action Plan signed by Yameen during his official visit to India in 2016.
