New Delhi (Sputnik): Indian lawmaker Subramanian Swamy has clarified that the views he expresses on social media are not necessarily the official stance of India's ruling Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP), following a huge controversy over a recent tweet in which he opined that "India should invade [the] Maldives" if rigging takes place in the country's upcoming presidential elections.
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"It's my opinion that [the] Indian government has a responsibility to protect its citizens for which invasion is necessary," local news agency ANI quoted Swamy as saying.
— ANI (@ANI) August 28, 2018
— WION (@WIONews) August 27, 2018
The island nation's government has also submitted a démarche to the Indian government, expressing shock at the statement.
— Subramanian Swamy (@Swamy39) August 26, 2018
On August 22, Swamy had tweeted that he met with former Maldivian President Nasheed.
— Subramanian Swamy (@Swamy39) August 22, 2018
Meanwhile, the government of India has sought to completely disassociate itself from the idea of invading the Maldives as suggested by Subramanian Swamy.
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"The opinion expressed by Dr. Swamy in his tweet is personal. It does not reflect the views of the government of India," the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.
Bilateral relations between India and the Maldives have been tense since February this year when the president of the Maldives declared a state of emergency, which was condemned by India.
