The visit External Affair’s Minister Salman Khurshid to the Maldives has been postponed, with Indian media reporting that that the minister’s presence was required in parliament for the passage of the contentious Telangana bill.
The bill, which divides the state of Andhra Pradesh – creating Telangana, the country’s 29th state – was passed yesterday amidst fractious scenes in the Lok Sabha.
Khurshid’s visit to the Maldives was due to begin today (February 19), with the trip said to include that handing over of naval craft and a new tourism training facility to the Maldivian Government. These events have now been delayed.
Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh is reported to have already travelled to the Maldives to participate in tomorrow’s SAARC foreign ministers’ meeting.
