India upset over snub by Maldives

New Delhi: After the snub by the Maldives, India on Wednesday stepped up the attack on its tiny maritime neighbour, saying it was “deeply dismayed” at the extension of emergency there by 30 days, adding that it was concerned by “the manner in which the extension of the State of Emergency was approved by the (Parliament) Majlis (which is) in contravention of the Constitution of Maldives”. 

The Maldivian government assured India that “the State of Emergency will be lifted as soon as the threats posed to national security are addressed satisfactorily”. 

But in a veiled criticism of India, the Maldives said its partners should “clarify facts and policies prior to reaching assessments” and that they should “refrain from any actions that could escalate an already delicate situation and derail the efforts being made to bring back normalcy”.