Male: Maldives on Sunday summoned Indian High Commissioner DM Mulay and lodged a protest after former President Mohamed Nasheed remained holed up at the Indian mission for the fifth day even as External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid spoke to his counterpart to resolve the crisis.
"He (Mulay) was summoned to the Foreign Ministry and a protest note was handed over to him," Masood Imad, President Mohammed Waheed's Press Secretary, told PTI.
Imad said he was not aware of the contents of the protest letter but he "believes" that it was in connection with Nasheed seeking refuge in the High Commission. "Nasheed was absconding the law," he added.
Mulay was summoned on a day when Maldivian President Mohamed Waheed said he was "dismayed" that his predecessor sought refuge in the Indian High Commission when he was summoned to the court.
Local media reports said this is the first time that a High Commissioner has been summoned by the Maldivian Foreign Ministry.
Khurshid, who is on an official two-day visit to Bangladesh, called up Maldives Foreign Minister Abdul Samad Abdullah from Dhaka, official sources said in Dhaka. It is for the second time in four days that Khurshid spoke to Samad.
The details of the conversation were not immediately available. On Thursday, Khurshid had called up Abdullah and spoke to him for nearly 40 minutes afer which he said the situation involving Nasheed was of an "unusual nature".
Waheed accused Nasheed of "instigating" street protests by taking refuge as he promised "free, fair and inclusive" multi-party election in the country in September.
45-year-old Nasheed, leader of Maldivian Democratic Party, took refuge in the Indian High Commission on February 13 to evade arrest warrant issued by a court in a case concerning the detention of Chief Judge of the Criminal Court during his Presidency in January 2013.
"I am dismayed that the former President Nasheed sought refuge in the Indian High Commission in Male when he was summoned to the court. The court order which required the Police to arrest Nasheed and have him appear before the court was due to his refusal to attend court hearing.
"It had expired at 1600 hours on the 13 February 2013, and there is no reason for him to remain in the High Commission and to instigate street violence," Waheed said.
The President said the court's decision has nothing to do with his government.
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