NEW DELHI – The tiny island Nation Maldives has flatly rejected the IndianNavy’s invitation to attend ‘Milan’, an eight-day multilateral navalexercise.
Indian Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba said on Tuesday.
Sharing details of the mega event that is set to take place at the Andaman& Nicobar Islands, Lanba said 16 countries will participate in the biennialnaval exercise from March 6 to 13.
On the aggressive posturing adopted by China in the Indo-Pacific region,Lanba said there has been no change in the pattern of their deployment.
“We are aware of the Chinese activities in Indian Ocean region. Theirpattern of deployment has remained same since many years. At any time,there are 8-10 ships in the Indian Ocean,” he was quoted as saying by ANI.
India has recently expressed “deep dismay” over Maldives’ decision toextend the state of emergency for another 30 days. MEA spokesperson RaveeshKumar said India desires to see that democracy is fully restored inMaldives. The island nation has been witnessing a brutal crackdown againstdissidents under the orders of President Abdulla Yameen.
India has also urged Maldives government to release the Chief Justice and aSupreme Court judge, and political prisoners.
The Maldives government has, however, brushed aside India’s concerns sayingthat New Delhi’s public statements were a “clear distortion of facts.”
“The Government of Maldives takes note of the public statements issued bythe Government of India that ignore the facts and ground realities withregard to the ongoing political developments in the Maldives. The assertionby the Government of India that the extension of the State of Emergency bythe People’s Majlis was unconstitutional is a clear distortion of facts,which ignore the Constitution and Laws of the Maldives,” the Maldivesgovernment had said in a statement.
The issue has become a sore point between the two countries, especiallywith China asking India to respect Maldives sovereignty and not interferein the country’s affairs.