Bilateral relation between Maldives and India has hit an all-time low in the aftermath of some controversial decisions taken by the island nation.



An upset Indian government has upped the ante, freezing major aid promised to the neighbouring country in the recent past.



"President Mohamed Waheed (of Maldives) has taken some arbitrary decisions, so let him face the consequences," a senior South Block official told Mail Today.



The "consequences" include a freeze on $25-million budgetary commitment that New Delhi had made to Male. Construction of a national police academy in Maldives has also been put on the back burner besides other infrastructural commitments that India had made to Maldives earlier. "The momentum in bilateral ties is lost," the officer added.



Mulay replaced

India is posting its top diplomat D.M. Mulay, who was subjected to personal attacks in Male, to New York as the new Indian consul general. The Maldivian President's spokesperson Adil Riza had called Mulay a "traitor" and an "enemy" of their country. Mulay is being replaced by Rajiv Shahare, who currently looks after the West Asia portfolio in the foreign office in New Delhi.





Before resorting to these tough measures, India had tried hard to mend fences. External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid, in fact, had assured Maldivian foreign minister Abdul Samad Abdulla that New Delhi would get in a neutral international expert to settle any concerns, but Male has clearly tested India's patience on nagging issues.The ties between the two countries strained after the cancellation of the GMR airport contract, the largest single Indian investment in the island nation, but the real reason for New Delhi's anguish is said to be the anti-India sentiments being aired by some parties in President Mohamed Waheed's coalition.New Delhi believes that vested interests are at work in Maldives to foment anti-India sentiments and hurt bilateral relations. The increasing interest of China in Maldives is also not hidden from India. Adhaalath, a radical Islamic party in Maldives, tweeted on Thursday: "We would rather give the airport contract to our friends in China, who now make the majority of our tourist population." President Waheed has maintained that the cancellation of the GMR airport contract was not a political decision. "We have always maintained that this it was a commercial contract signed by the former (Mohamed) Nasheed government under dubious conditions.We remain confident that India-Maldives relation will not be affected by the cancellation of the GMR contract by MACL (Maldives Airports Company Ltd)," he said.GMR, along with its partner Malaysia Airport Holding Berhad, had won the contract for developing the Male international airport during Nasheed's regime. The issue of airport contract had cropped up during the talks between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Waheed, who visited India earlier this year.Waheed had assured that all Indian investments in Maldives would be safe.Now, New Delhi is concerned about the safety of 30,000 Indians in Maldives and mulling to mount pressure on Male to ensure their safety. Sources here said it seems that President Waheed is not in control of things in and is acting under the influence of certain political parties.