Maldives cites Kashmir, asks India not to meddle in its internal affairs

New Delhi: Citing Kashmir, Maldives has asked India not to meddle in its internal affairs by vouching for lifting emergency from the island nation, a media report said Wednesday.
“Why haven’t we gone into the Kashmir issue … and asked to be (an) intermediary? Because they are internal matters … India should stay away from our issue. We are independent and capable of dealing with the situation. If we need help, we will let India know,” a report published in The Times of India quoted country’s minister of fisheries and agriculture, Mohamed Shainee as having said.
After facilitating the entry of first group of foreign journalists since the declaration of emergency on February 5, current president of the country Abdulla Yameen assigned eight of his cabinet members to urge India not to back former president President Mohamed Nasheed’s “efforts to destabilize the Maldives and spoil its relationship with India,” mentioned the report.
The report also mentioned that the island country wants to maintain friendship with India.