PM Modi meets Maldives President Muizzu
New Delhi (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday met Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu here for extensive discussions on strengthening bilateral ties that are emerging after hitting a rocky patch last year.
Muizzu arrived here on Sunday evening on a four-day visit.
"Taking forward India-Maldives special ties! PM @narendramodi warmly received President @MMuizzu of Maldives as the latter arrived at Hyderabad House. Extensive discussions on India-Maldives bilateral relations lie ahead," External Affairs Ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X.
Earlier, Muizzu was accorded a ceremonial welcome at the Rashtrapati Bhawan by President Droupadi Murmu. Prime Minister Modi was also present on the occasion.
Muizzu was given a tri-services guard of honour before he drove down to Rajghat to offer his respects at the memorial to Mahatma Gandhi.
This is Muizzu's firs state visit to India since assuming office in November last year. He had visited Delhi in June for the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Modi's third term in office.
The ties between India and the Maldives came under severe strain since Muizzu, known for his pro-China leanings, took charge of the top office in November.
Muizzu won the presidential election last year on the 'India out' campaign and asked New Delhi to withdraw its military personnel posted in the archipelago nation by May this year.
The bilateral ties also hit a rocky patch when Maldivian ministers were critical of Modi. However, Muizzu has since toned down his anti-India stance and even sacked ministers who were critical of the Indian prime minister.
As the Maldives was grappling with a serious economic downturn, India has decided to extend vital budgetary support to the Maldives government with the rollover of a USD 50 million Treasury Bill for another year.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Social media campaigns, flexboards won't decide who will be Kerala CM: Chennithala
New Delhi/Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala, a CM hopeful, on Wednesday said that social media campaigns and putting up of flexboards wiill not be the deciding factors for selecting the chief minister of Kerala.
Chennithala made the remark in response to reporters queries in Delhi on the intense social media campaign in favour of V D Satheesan as CM on the ground that he led the UDF poll campaign from the front.
"Who should be CM is not decided based on social media campaigns or the flexboards put up by the supporters. It is decided by the high command in accordance with the procedure already in place.
"As part of that two party observers will reach Kerala by evening and they will speak to all the MLAs. After that, the party high command will take a decision," the senior Congress leader said.
He said that the high command will take the decision based on party interests and everyone will accept it.
Chennithala also rejected queries about whether the alleged contest within the party for the CM post will create any displeasure among the voters.
"There will be no displeasure among voters as there is no contest," he contended.
On whether there was a delay in announcing the CM for Kerala, Chennithala said that the chief minister has not been selected in the other state where polls were held.
"So, can it be said that there is a delay in the case of Kerala?" he asked.
He said that he was in Delhi for a meeting with Rahul Gandhi regarding finalisation of the DCC presidents in Maharashtra.
