Amid a major diplomatic uproar, India has officially raised grave concerns over the derogatory remarks passed by several Maldives ministers against Prime Minister Narendra Modi after his recent Lakshadweep visit. According to multiple media reports, the Indian High Commissioner has taken up the matter with the Mohamed Muizzu-led government in Male.
Earlier on January 5, a row erupted after wherein top Maldives ministers posted insulting comments against PM Modi over his recent visit to Lakshadweep. Mariyam Shiuna, Deputy Minister of Youth Empowerment, Information and Arts, while commenting on the photos of PM Modi, dubbed him as a ‘clown’ and a ‘puppet of Israel’.
“What a clown. The puppet of Israel Mr Narendra diver with a life jacket #VisitMaldives,” Shiuna tweeted.
Maldives govt issues clarification
Apprehending the consequences, the government of Maldives issued a statement saying it was aware of derogatory remarks on social media platforms against foreign leaders and high-ranking individuals and added it did not represent the views of the government.
Besides, it said that the incumbent government would not hesitate to take action against those who make such derogatory remarks.
"The Government of Maldives is 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...Moreover, the relevant authorities of the Government will not hesitate to take action against those who make such derogatory remarks," according to the statement.
Story so far
It is worth mentioning, that PM Narendra Modi, on January 4, shared some pictures of his recent visit to Lakshadweep. Without mentioning a single word on Maldives, the Prime Minister praised the beauty of Lakshadweep and said: "Recently, I had the opportunity to be among the people of Lakshadweep. I am still in awe of the stunning beauty of its islands and the incredible warmth of its people. I had the opportunity to interact with people in Agatti, Bangaram and Kavaratti. I thank the people of the islands for their hospitality. Here are some glimpses, including aerial glimpses from Lakshadweep..."
However, several Maldives ministers took this as an offence and started pouring nasty remarks against Indians. Several of the ministers even claimed that Indian beaches could not meet the cleanliness level of the Maldives beaches. “The move is great. However, the idea of competing with us is delusional. How can they provide the service we offer? How can they be so clean? The permanent smell in the rooms will be the biggest downfall," Zahid Rameez, a Council member of the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) wrote on X.
Akshay Kumar, Salman Khan, Sachin Tendulkar ask Indians to visit India
Meanwhile, a major uproar sounded on social media platforms wherein Indians took to X and confirmed that they cancelled their scheduled trip to the island nation and appealed to others to follow suit.
Following the trend, many Bollywood stars such as Akshay Kumar and Salman Khan denounced the comments by the Maldives minister and asked their fans to visit Lakshadweep instead of the island nation.
India-Maldives relations
It is worth mentioning ever since pro-China President Mohamed Muizzu after his surprise victory in September's presidential election, the relations between New Delhi and Male posied a new low. In fact, he ordered to withdrawal of Indian military presence from the island nation-- in an attempt to woo Beijing. Now, the critical comments against the PM would deteriorate the relations further.
