India rejected Washington Post reports, raised questions on credibility

India on Friday rejected the claims made in two reports published by the Washington Post. The American newspaper had claimed in one of its reports that the opposition party of Maldives had sought help of US $ 6 million from India to remove President Mohammed Muizzu. The second report said that India’s intelligence agency RAW (Research and Analysis Wing) carried out systematic killings in Pakistan.

India’s strong response: Called the reports baseless

Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs of India Randhir Jaiswal Rejected these reports and raised questions about the credibility of the Washington Post.

• Jaiswal’s statement:
  “This newspaper and the journalists concerned are hostile towards India. A special pattern is visible in his works. It is up to you to assess the veracity of these reports. For us, they have no credibility.”

Maldives conspiracy claim refuted

The Washington Post had claimed that India had conspired to remove Maldives President Mohammed Muizzu.

• Maldives Democratic Party (MDP) head Mohamed Nasheed said:
  “I am not aware of any serious conspiracy against the President. India will never take such a step as it always supports the democracy of Maldives.”
• Nasheed stressed that India never tried to impose its conditions on Maldives.

India’s reaction to alleged RAW program in Pakistan

The second report of Washington Post said that India’s intelligence agency RAW carried out a systematic program to kill about half a dozen people in Pakistan since 2021.

• Randhir Jaiswal refuted:
  • This report was termed as baseless and propaganda against India.
  • Referring to Hillary Clinton’s statement, he said:
    “You can’t keep snakes in your courtyard and expect them to bite only your neighbours.”
  • This was a target on Pakistan’s terrorist groups, who themselves promote violence.

Question on credibility of Washington Post

India accused Washington Post of continuously negative reporting against India.

• Jaiswal said:
  “The newspaper is biased towards India and its reports are far from credible.”