One of the several photos posted by Narendra Modi’s handle on X of the PM’s recent Lakshadweep visit.
New Delhi: The high commissioner of Maldives to India, Ibrahim Shaheeb, met officials of the Indian foreign ministry, on Monday, amid a row over remarks against the prime minister, Narendra Modi, and India by several Maldivian ministers and public figures on social media. According to government sources, this comes after officials conveyed New Delhi’s concerns to Shaheeb over the remarks.
Meanwhile, the high commissioner of India to the Maldives, Munu Mahawar, discussed “bilateral issues’ with Dr Ali Naseer Mohamed, the ambassador at large for the Maldivian foreign ministry in – what the Indian high commission in Male stated as – a “pre-arranged meeting”.
Read also: Maldives suspends 3 ministers after backlash over anti-India remarks
On Sunday, the Maldives government suspended three ministers for making derogatory remarks about Modi and India after the prime minister had posted photos of his recent Lakshadweep visit on Twitter, which prompted a severe backlash from Indian X users, which included several celebrities. Calls to boycott the Maldives as a tourist destination followed.
The row started when enthusiastic Indian X users and trolls started promoting the Union territory of Lakshadweep as an alternative beach destination to the Maldives for Indian holidaymakers. Since the current Maldivian president, Mohamed Muizzu, is perceived as a pro-China leader, trolls also started using caustic remarks against the Maldives, which gave the excuse to some Maldivian public figures to use derogatory and quasi-racist remarks on Modi, Indians, and India.
Read also: Troll’s post attracts Maldives politicians to bad-mouth India, kicks major row
The three suspended ministers – Mariyam Shiuna, Abdulla Mahzoom Majid, and Malsha Shareef – are all deputy ministers in the country’s youth ministry.
