No formal meet with Mohamed Nasheed

It was a chance encounter; two held no discussion on Maldives: defence source

Indian defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman briefs media about militant attack at Sunjwan Army camp in Jammu on February 12, 2018. Pakistan "will pay" for an attack on an army base in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed nine including five soldiers and a civilian, India's defence minister said on February 12. / AFP PHOTO / Rakesh BAKSHI

Two days after a meeting between Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and exiled former Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed, a defence source clarified on Tuesday that it was only a chance encounter and the two held no discussions on the Maldives.

“Mr. Nasheed was seated in the audience and cornered Ms. Sitharaman once it was over when she was sitting in the side room before her departure. There was no scheduled meeting and she just exchanged pleasantry out of courtesy. While Mr. Nasheed said he hoped India would play an active role in Maldives, she did not speak anything,” the source added.

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The incident that occurred at The Huddle organised by

The Hindu in Bengaluru on Sunday lasted less than a minute, the source said.

After the meeting, Mr. Nasheed put out a tweet along with a picture, “Pleasure to meet and brief Indian Minister of Defence H.E Nirmala Sitharaman on the situation in the Maldives.”

“The concerned Defence Ministry official would be present in any formal meeting. Here it was a public place where a large number of people were present, including some party workers who came to meet her,” the source said, adding that an official engagement would not happen impromptu.

The source added that given the current geopolitical dynamics, it was unprofessional on the part of Mr. Nasheed to do so and the Defence Minister was put in a very uncomfortable position.