India-Maldives row: Maldives envoy summoned after remarks against PM Modi
India-Maldives row: India summoned the Maldives' envoy after three Maldivian ministers made derogatory comments about Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Following PM Modi's visit to Lakshadweep, a Maldivian lawmaker accused New Delhi of attempting to project the Union Territory as an alternative tourist destination to the Maldives.
His posts prompted social media users to advocate for Lakshadweep as a viable alternative to the Maldives as a holiday destination.
The Maldives government suspended three ministers on Sunday after they made offensive remarks about PM Modi during his Lakshadweep visit on social media, according to a Maldives spokesperson.
The decision to suspend ministers Malsha Shareef, Mariyam Shiuna, and Abdulla Mahzoom Majid came after India raised the issue with the island nation.
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Notably, Shiuna referred to PM Modi as a "clown" and a "puppet" in now-deleted posts on X after the Prime Minister posted photos of his visit to Lakshadweep and promoted the island as a tourist destination for Indians. Following a massive backlash from Indians on the microblogging site, the tweets were removed.
Abdulla Mahzoom Majid, in a now-deleted post, commented on PM Modi's Lakshadweep visit and said "While I wish success for India's tourism, targeting the Maldives so explicitly isn't diplomatic. India faces significant challenges competing in beach tourism, considering our resort infrastructure exceeds their total islands."
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Other Maldives officials, including Zahid Rameez, an MP from the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives, mocked PM Modi's visit to Lakshadweep after the photos went viral, with many comparing it to the Maldives.
The Maldives government has rejected the derogatory remarks directed at Prime Minister Modi, claiming that they did not reflect Maldives' views.
Also Read | 'Boycott Maldives': Maldives govt 'suspends' 3 ministers after ‘derogatory’ remarks on PM Modi
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