The Maldives government has suspended three ministers for making derogatory remarks about Prime Minister Narendra Modi following his social media post about his trip to Lakshadweep. The suspended ministers—Mariyam Shiuna, Malsha Shareef, and Mahzoom Majid—faced backlash after their comments sparked a "Boycott Maldives" movement on social media.
Shiuna had posted a tweet using offensive emojis to describe PM Modi, while Malsha shared a video of the Prime Minister with similar disrespectful emojis. The controversy escalated when Maldivian politician Zahid Rameez mocked Modi's visit, claiming that Maldives' tourism services could never be rivaled by India.
In response to the uproar, the Maldives government distanced itself from the remarks, stating that they did not reflect the official stance of the country. The government emphasized the importance of responsible freedom of expression and condemned actions that could harm international relations, particularly with India.
The remarks also drew condemnation from former Maldivian presidents Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and Mohamed Nasheed, who reiterated the importance of maintaining good relations with India. The anti-India comments led several Indian celebrities, including Akshay Kumar, Sachin Tendulkar, and Salman Khan, to call for a boycott of Maldives tourism, urging Indians to consider domestic travel alternatives. This comes at a time when Indian tourists represented a significant portion of the Maldives' visitors.