The Indian government has condemned a “fake letter” doing the rounds of social media, urging the Maldivian government to investigate the matter.
The forged letter has even found its way to a leading national newspaper in the Indian Ocean nation, the Maldivian Foreign Ministry has said.
“We unequivocally reject and condemn this malicious attempt to malign and disturb the India-Maldives relations,” the Indian High Commission in Maldives said on Thursday.
Such a proposal would constitute an “unprecedented waiver” of sovereign debt and “significantly unburden” the people and the government of the Maldives, the forged letter states.
The letter is addressed to Maldivian Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid.
The letter in question states that the Indian government would be leased two 15-hectare plots in Maldives on a 99-year renewable lease and under New Delhi’s “sovereign domain”.
The fake letter has surfaced ahead of the presidential election in the country on 9 September, wherein incumbent Ibrahim Mohamad Solih is up against seven challengers.
Opposition’s ‘India Out Campaign’
Former Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen one of the main opposition Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) was barred from contesting the election last December after a court convicted him of money laundering and corruption. The country's apex Supreme Court upheld the decision last month.
Yameen has a key figure behind an “India Out” campaign, supporters of which allege that the Solih government has allowed Indian military presence on the island nation as part of its ‘India First Policy’.
At a presidential debate this month, Solih reportedly rejected the charge of basing Indian military personnel on the country.
In the absence of Yameen, the PPP has nominated Mohamed Muizzu, who is the mayor of Male, as its presidential candidate.