'No license to bully..' Maldives President makes fresh jab at India

New Delhi: Amid the ongoing row, Maldives President Mohamad Muizzu, fresh from his China visit, made another indirect jab at India, accusing it of "bullying" his "small" nation.

"We may be small but this doesn't give them the license to bully us," he said at a press conference on his return from China, according to a viral video.

He also said that the Indian Ocean doesn’t belong to any “specific country” and that Maldives is one of the countries with "the biggest share" due to its large EEZ.

President Muizzu's remarks follows bad blood between the two countries after three Maldivian ministers made derogatory remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi following his Lakshwadeep visit

While the three ministers were dismissed, the incident created tension with various Indian celebrities and companies asking people to avoid visiting the Maldives and taking other action to deter Indians visiting the Indian Ocean archipelago nation.