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Indian PM drops visit to Maldives in Indian Ocean island nations tour

Xinhua, March 6, 2015 Adjust font size:

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has decided to drop his visit to the Maldives that was to have been part of his four-nation ocean island tour next week, said Foreign Ministry on Friday.

Modi will visit Sri Lanka, Mauritius and the Seychelles next week, said a Ministry of External Affairs release.

He will fly to the Seychelles on March 11, followed by Mauritius, where he will be the chief guest at the National Day celebrations before leaving for a two-day visit to Sri Lanka.

While giving no official explanation for the decision to cancel Modi's visit to Male at this point, official sources said New Delhi did not want to be seen"involved in domestic issues"of the Maldives.

Indian government said it was taken by surprise over the treatment of former President Mohammad Nasheed, who was arrested and charged with treason, and also roughed up by the police on his way to court.

India had issued a strong statement expressing"concern"over his"arrest and manhandling"of the former president. Endi