The three suspended Maldivian deputy ministers – Malsha Shareef (L), Abdulla Mahzoom Majid (C), and Mariyam Shiuna.
New Delhi: Following severe backlash over their disparaging remarks on the prime minister, Narendra Modi, and India, the Mohamed Muizzu-led Maldivian government has suspended three of its ministers, on Sunday. They are three deputy ministers from the country’s youth ministry, Mariyam Shiuna, Abdulla Mahzoom Majid, and Malsha Shareef, according to Sun – a Maldivian news portal.
The row started when Indian X users started promoting Lakshadweep as a better and cheaper alternative to the Maldives as a beach destination for tourists after Modi’s visit to the atoll Union territory.
The row went out of hand when politicians, including three deputy ministers from the Maldivian youth ministry, used degrading words against India. They include Zahid Rameez, a member of the Maldives’ Progressive Party, and the now-suspended three deputy ministers from the country’s youth ministry – Mariyam Shiuna, Abdulla Mahzoom Majid, and Malsha Shareef.
This not only drew flak from common Indian X users, including celebrities, but prominent Maldivians, including Mohamed Nasheed, a former president of the atoll nation, as well.
India then diplomatically raised the issue with Male, following which the Maldivian government promptly distanced itself from its ministers’ remarks.
To know in full details about the India-Maldives row, please click here.
In a statement, the Maldivian government said: “These opinions are personal and do not represent the views of the government of Maldives. The government believes that the freedom of expression should be exercised in a democratic and responsible manner, and in ways that do not spread hatred, negativity, and hinder close relationships between the Maldives and its international partners.”
India and the Maldives historically enjoyed very close ties. New Delhi had been the provider of the atoll nation’s security and a major trade partner. In 1988, India dispatched paratroopers to prevent the Maldives from being taken over by People’s Liberation Organization of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE) mercenaries from Sri Lanka and restore the-then government of Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.
India has since provided the Maldives with military aid, including offshore patrolling vessels, fixed-wing aircraft, and helicopters. It also provides training to the Maldivian National Defence Force (MNDF). Apart from this, India has been the biggest trading partner of the Maldives, a status that has gone to China now. Tens of thousands of Indian tourists visit the Maldives every year, giving the country’s economy a major boost.
However, the current president, Mohamed Muizzu, is perceived to be pro-China. He won the election on an anti-India plank. Since assuming office, Muizzu ordered Indian troops out of the atoll nation in India’s maritime backyard. Then it cancelled an agreement between the Indian Navy and the MNDF allowing India to carry out hydrographic surveys in the country, which would have helped the Maldives to improve the safety of maritime navigation, environmental protection, management of coastal zones, economic development, and bolster security and defence cooperation.
