Former President Mohamed Nasheed has responded to criticism by opposition MDP of the government’s efforts to improve relations with India.

Last week, MDP President and former Foreign Minister Abdullah Shahid criticized the government heavily for trying to strengthen relations with India. As such he had highlighted how they had previously called for 'India Out', but are now found with 'Welcome India' banners.

In a post on X, Nasheed said that if those who want strong India-Maldives relations do not welcome the change in government policy and mock the government by pointing out the past, it shows that they do not really want India-Maldives relations to improve or strengthen futher.

“They just want to get political points, and are unable to uphold their policies,” he said.

The Democrats, which Nasheed led, recently met with President Muizzu to discuss cooperation with the government. However, neither the President's Office nor The Democrats have provided details of any of their discussions so far.

Relations between India and Maldives deteriorated due to the anti-India policy pursued by this government when it took office. The relationship was further strained when three government deputy ministers insulted India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

As a result, the number of Indian tourists coming to the Maldives dropped significantly following the massive campaign to boycott Maldivian tourism. The government recently also held a roadshow in major Indian cities under the name of Welcome India, as part of efforts to revive tourism.