The Maldivian government has taken action following derogatory remarks on made by Deputy Minister of Youth Empowerment, Information, and Arts, Mariyam Shiuna, against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 3 Deputy ministers has been suspended after derogatory remarks.

The comments referred to PM Modi as a ‘clown’ and a ‘puppet’ after PM Modi shared some pictures from his visit to the Indian islands of Lakshadweep on January 2. In response, over 800 hotel bookings and 2500 flights to the Maldives were reportedly canceled by Indian citizens.

Mariyam Shiuna’s comments sparked a social media debate, with some interpreting PM Modi’s visit to Lakshadweep as a targeted move against Maldivian tourism.

India-Maldives relations:

Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu, who came to power through an anti-India campaign (India out), has seen tensions rise, with his party projecting New Delhi as an enemy of Maldives. This contrasts with the historically close and cordial relations between India and the Maldives, marked by shared ethnic, linguistic, cultural, religious, and commercial ties.

Maldives Government response:

In response to the derogatory remarks, the Maldivian government issued a statement disassociating itself from such opinions on social media. The statement clarified that these views are personal and do not represent the government’s official stance. Additionally, the government asserted its willingness to take action against individuals making such derogatory remarks.

In light of the controversy, the Maldivian government reportedly suspended three ministers (Maryam Shiuna, Malsa Shareef, and Mahzoom Majid)  for their critical social media posts about Prime Minister Narendra Modi in both the Maldives and Lakshadweep. The Indian High Commission in Male raised the issue with the Maldivian foreign ministry, leading to these actions, while opposition leaders within the island nations of both the Maldives and Lakshadweep criticized the ruling establishments over the row.