New Delhi, Jan 8: The Maldivian envoy to India was summoned to the external affairs ministry on Monday, where strong concern was conveyed over social media remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi made by several Maldivian ministers, according to sources.
On Sunday, the Maldivian government suspended three deputy ministers for their derogatory social media posts against Modi. The suspended ministers criticized Modi for his post on ‘X’ after his visit to Lakshadweep, suggesting that it was an attempt to promote the Union Territory as an alternative tourist destination to the Maldives.
Maldivian media reports identified the suspended deputy ministers in the youth ministry as Malsha Shareef, Mariyam Shiuna, and Abdulla Mahzoom Majid.
In New Delhi, official sources revealed that the Indian high commission in Male strongly raised the matter with the Maldivian foreign ministry on Sunday.
The disparaging remarks by the ministers have sparked criticism in India, with many celebrities urging people on ‘X’ to explore domestic tourist destinations instead of visiting the Maldives. Social media posts have also claimed that some Indians are canceling their planned trips to the Maldives in light of the controversy.
The Maldivian foreign ministry stated that the government is aware of “derogatory remarks” on social media platforms against foreign leaders and emphasized that these personal views do not represent the official position of the Maldivian government.
