What are the implications of Maldives March 15 deadline to India for withdrawing troops?
b'Relations between India and Maldives seem to have hit a rough patch. First came some controversial remarks from Maldivian politicians on Prime Minister Narendra Modi\\u2019s Lakshadweep visit, prompting a \\u2018boycott Maldives\\u2019 campaign on Indian social media. Then came a joint press communiqu\\xe9 with China, which committed to \\u201celevating strategic cooperation\\u201d between Maldives and China. This was followed by remarks from Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu, on his return from China, that although Maldives was a small country, it \\u201cwon\\u2019t be bullied\\u201d, that the \\u201cIndian Ocean does not belong to any one country\\u201d, and that Maldives \\u201cis not in anyone\\u2019s backyard\\u201d.\\n\\nBut for India, the most troubling development is Maldives setting a March 15 deadline \\u2013 effectively an ultimatum -- to withdraw all its troops from the island nation. What exactly does all this mean for India? Is it purely an effect of Maldives\\u2019 domestic politics, with general elections due in March? Or should New Delhi be concerned about a more enduring shift in Maldivian foreign policy?\\nTune in to know more!'