Indian NSA Ajit Doval Stages Walkout From SCO Meeting in Protest After Pakistan Projects Map With Indian Territories

New Delhi/Moscow, September 15: India's National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval on Tuesday staged a walkout in protest from a meeting involving member countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) after Pakistan projected a map which reportedly included Indian territories. India said Pakistan's action to project "fictitious" map was in violation of norms of the meeting which was attended by National Security Advisers of SCO member countries. India Thanks UNSC Members For Thwarting Pakistan's Attempt to Get 2 Indians Listed as Terrorists.

"At the meeting of National Security Advisers of member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization today, hosted by the Chair of the SCO (Russia), the Pakistani NSA deliberately projected a fictitious map that Pakistan has recently been propagating," the Ministry of External Affairs said on Tuesday. Last month, Pakistan had issued a new political map which includes parts of Gujarat and the Union Territories of Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir.

"This was in blatant disregard to the advisory by the host against it and in violation of the norms of the meeting.  After consultation with the host, the Indian side left the meeting in protest at that juncture. Pakistan then went on to present a misleading view of this meeting," the MEA added. Following the incident, Russia conveyed to India that it does not support what the Pakistani delegation did during the meeting.

"Nikolai Patrushev, Secretary of National Security Council of Russian Federation conveyed Russia does not support what Pakistan has done and hopes Pakistan's provocative act will not affect India’s participation in SCO and definitely not cast any shadow on Patrushev’s warm personal relationship with NSA. Secretary of National Security Council of Russian Federation hopes to see NSA at forthcoming events," government sources told news agency ANI.

After Pakistan had issued a new political map with Indian territories last month, India described it as "an exercise in political absurdity". "These ridiculous assertions have neither legal validity nor international credibility. In fact, this new effort only confirms the reality of Pakistan's obsession with territorial aggrandisement supported by cross-border terrorism," the Indian government had said.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 15, 2020 06:39 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).