Maldives suspends three deputy ministers for posting derogatory comments about Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The comments by the Maldivian minister have sparked a diplomatic row between the two countries and threatened a tourism boycott by the powerful South Asian nation of the Maldives.
After sharing videos and photos of Modi’s visit to the Indian island of Lakshadweep to promote local tourism, the three ministers called Modi a ‘joker’, ‘terrorist’ and ‘puppet of Israel’ in their posts on X (formerly Twitter). ‘ was declared.
Some social media users in the Maldives saw Modi’s posts praising the ‘amazing beauty of his islands’ as an attempt to compete with the Maldives in the tourism arena.
The Indian Ministry of External Affairs on Tuesday summoned the Ambassador to Maldives, Ibrahim Shaheeb, over these social media posts.
The Maldivian Ministry of Foreign Affairs immediately distanced itself from the comments, saying that ‘these opinions are personal and do not represent the views of the Maldivian government.’
Without naming India, Foreign Minister Musa Zameer termed the comments as ‘unacceptable’, saying the government was committed to positive dialogue with neighboring countries.
He said that the recent remarks against foreign leaders and our close neighbors are unacceptable and do not reflect the official stand of the government.
He said, “We are committed to promoting positive and constructive dialogue with all our partners, especially neighboring countries, based on mutual respect and understanding.”
Maldives Minister of Youth Empowerment, Information and Arts Malsha Sharif, Maryam Sheona and Abdullah Mahzoom Majeed were suspended on Sunday.
His posts were criticized as racist. Shivana compared India to cow dung.
The post went viral on Indian social media with people calling for a boycott of Maldin with the hashtags Hash Boycott Maldives and Explore Indian Islands.
Famous Indian personalities including Bollywood actors and cricketers expressed their solidarity with Modi and expressed shock at the statement of Maldivian politicians.
Actor Akshay Kumar said in X-Post: ‘I have come across hateful and racist comments against Indian citizens by key Maldivian government figures. It’s surprising that they are doing this to a country that has the highest number of tourists.’
‘We are good to our neighbors but why should we tolerate unprovoked hatred? I have been to the Maldives many times and have always admired it, but respect is paramount. We have to support our island tours and our tourism.’
Cricketer Sachin Tendulkar said that India is rich in beautiful beaches and pristine islands.
With our philosophy of ‘Atithi Dev Bhava’ (Guest is like God) we have a lot to offer. There are so many memories waiting to be made.’
The CEO of ticket booking platform EzMyTrip said his company has suspended all flight bookings to the Maldives in solidarity with India.
A new conflict has erupted amid the already ongoing tension between India and the Maldives.
This section contains related reference points (Related Nodes field).
Earlier, the newly elected President of Maldives, Mohammad Muizhu, has asked Delhi to withdraw 75 troops of its army from Maldives.
Known for his pro-China stance, Muizhu came to power last year vowing to end the Maldives’ ‘India first’ policy in the Indian Ocean, where Beijing is vying for influence.
This situation has also come to light on the occasion of President Muizhu’s five-day visit to China from Tuesday to January 12, which is being seen as a diplomatic setback for India.
The visit is a departure from the tradition of previous Maldivian leaders who were the first to visit India after assuming office.
After assuming office in November, President Mueizu made his first official visit to Turkey.
Indian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that it is his job to decide where he will go and how his international relations should be. will.’
Jaiswal said there is no update on the withdrawal of Indian troops from Maldives.
A major maritime neighbor in the Indian Ocean, the Maldives is of strategic importance to India as it is only 70 nautical miles from Lakshadweep’s Minikoi island and 300 nautical miles from India’s west coast.
For authentic news and current affairs analysis join Independent Urdu’s WhatsApp channel Here Click
#Maldivian #ministers #suspended #insulting #tweet #Modi
2024-09-18 00:54:31