Earlier today, Maldives distanced itself from a minister's derogatory remarks against PM Modi, saying these opinions are 'personal'.
The Maldivian government on Sunday suspended its three ministers for remarks against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his Lakshadweep visit, local media reported. The ministers -- Mariyam Shiuna, Malsha and Hassan Zihan -- have been suspended for their derogatory remarks against Prime Minister Modi on X, Atoll Times reported.
Though Prime Minister Modi promoted Lakshadweep as a tourist destination and did not even mention Maldives, irked minister of the Island country said : "India faces significant challenges in competing with the Maldives in beach tourism." In the post, Shiuna shared a video and referred to Prime Minister Modi as a "clown and puppet of Israel". Malsha also shared Modi's video on X using mocking emoji. The post was deleted after backlash on X, where Indian social media users slammed the Maldivian government officials, including Shiuna.
In a statement, the Maldivian foreign ministry said it was aware of derogatory remarks on social media platforms against foreign leaders and high-ranking individuals. "These opinions are personal and do not represent the views of the government of Maldives," the statement read. An official from the President's Office confirmed the suspensions, but did not provide further details.
Ms. Abdulla, told NDTV that it was reasonable for people to be outraged by the remarks. She said, "Indians are rightfully angry. The comments made are outrageous. However, the comments are in no way a reflection of the opinion of the Maldivian people. I'd like to apologise personally to the people of India for the shameful comments mad."
The uproar started when a few ministers from the Maldives made derogatory comments about India and Prime Minister Modi for sharing pictures and videos from his trip to Lakshadweep, where he was spotted lounging on the immaculate beach and snorkelling. Social media users were prompted by his posts to advocate for Lakshadweep as a substitute vacation spot for the Maldives.
The Maldivian MP urged Indians to "come back" to the islands for vacations and put an end to the #BoycottMaldives social media campaign. Following the outcry, a number of Indians took to social media to say they had canceled their planned vacations to the island nation, and a number of Bollywood celebrities suggested Lakshadweep as a possible tourism alternative.
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 "Maldives suspends three ministers over remarks against PM Modi")
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