NEW DELHI: Rogue, but influential, officials in the US State Department, closely associated with those pressure and lobbying groups identified as “anti-India”, were behind the recent report published in a US-based media outlet, the Washington Post, alleging how the Indian government and “agents” of Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) unsuccessfully tried to do in Male in Maldives what the State Department successfully did in Dhaka, Bangladesh—bring in a regime change.
Senior intelligence official sources who spoke to The Sunday Guardian said that the article, which they claim was dictated by these rogue State Department officials, has been made up with the twin objectives of creating a negative perception about Delhi, alleging how it is trying to “flex its muscles” in the neighbourhood. This narrative, officials said, has been in play for a long time now, the manifestation of which has become stronger after India decided to stay neutral and unbiased while handling the US-Russia dispute over Ukraine. These Washington-based officials are not comfortable with what they feel is India’s growing assertiveness, said an official who has been observing these developments for a long time now.
The second objective of the said media report was to show the “limited” capability of India and how it failed to bring about a regime change in the Maldives despite trying hard.
This objective became important as far as these small but influential coterie of the US State department officials is concerned. This is because much has been written about how India’s expanded capabilities have allowed it to do things to protect and nurture its sovereignty, that it did not attempt earlier. This, the official source said, did not go down well with some people in the Hill who are “highly upset” with R&AW’s alleged operations in multiple places to eliminate criminals wanted in India—criminals who are being protected by the government assets of these countries.
The narrative presented in the media report, officials said, was likely inspired by a recent report by the Indian media that exposed the US State Department’s plan to destabilize Dhaka and remove Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. While the report published in the Indian media outlet was based on credible internal documents belonging to the very US agencies that executed a nearly three-year-long plan in Dhaka, the evidence presented in the recent US media report is based on “gossip” and alleged interactions among individuals discussing geopolitical developments and the swiftly changing dynamics of bilateral relations between India and its neighbours.
According to a senior official, political plotting and meetings among opposition leaders to challenge the ruling government occur in every democracy, including in the Maldives. However, presenting this as a diabolical plot, as claimed in the report dictated by certain officials within the US State Department, was “childish”.
The official further stated that many of the claims in the report were outlandish and clearly had not been vetted by an experienced diplomat, as any seasoned diplomat would have flagged these claims, knowing that events do not unfold in the way the report suggested.
The official stated that the release of this and other similar media reports was timed to exert pressure on the incoming Trump administration, encouraging it to adopt a more negative stance toward Delhi, especially given the high level of popularity and trust Trump enjoyed in India following his previous term in office.