Maldives "disappointed" as India rejects visit of its envoy

India was the first stop planned for a visit by a special envoy of the Maldivian president but India rejected the visit, reportedly to drive home its message that President Abdulla Yameen

Maldives is "disappointed" with New Delhi since it rejected the visit of Maldivian envoy on Thursday. The Maldivian envoy in New Delhi said a special envoy could not be sent to India due to scheduling issues of the Indian leadership. The government's move to end envoys to three nations came after president has been internationally condemned for his action.

Maldives Ambassador to India Ahmed Mohamed told NDTV, "We are disappointed with India's position... We would want India to do even more than China... as we are neighbours."

Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen has sent special envoys to China, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia to brief them about the deepening political crisis in the country. "India was in fact the first stop planned and proposed for a visit of a special envoy of the president of Maldives. However, the dates proposed were not suitable for the Indian leadership," Maldivian envoy told PTI.

The island nation, which has seen several political crises since the ouster of its first democratically-elected president Mohamed Nasheed in 2012, plunged into chaos last Thursday when the apex court ordered the release of nine imprisoned Opposition politicians, maintaining that their trials were "politically motivated and flawed".

(With agency inputs)