Male: The Maldivian government on Sunday suspended three of its ministers for their offensive remarks against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his Lakshadweep visit, local media reported.
The Ministers Mariyam Shiuna, Malsha Shareef and Mahzoom Majid have been suspended for their remarks against Prime Minister Modi on X, Atoll Times reported.
"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs today issued a statement on the stand of the Government of India in relation to some posts on social media that are insulting to neighbouring India," the Maldives government said in a statement.
"Those who made such posts on social media while in government positions have now been suspended from their jobs," the statement said.
Recently, pictures of the Prime Minister’s visit and snorkelling in Lakshadweep had gained wide attention on social media. Many on social media have been comparing the island with the Maldives, a popular tourist destination known for its beautiful beaches.
Lakshadweep has also become the most searched tourist destination in the past few days. Though Prime Minister Modi promoted Lakshadweep as a tourist destination and did not even mention Maldives, the Ministers of the Island country posted derogatory remarks against PM Modi.
The island nation lies just 70 nautical miles away from Lakshadweep.
In the post, Shiuna shared a video and referred to Prime Minister Modi as a "clown and puppet of Israel". Malsha also shared Modi's video on X using mocking emoji.
The posts were deleted after backlash on X, where Indian social media users slammed the Maldivian government officials, including Shiuna.
In a statement, the Maldivian foreign ministry said it was aware of derogatory remarks on social media platforms against foreign leaders and high-ranking individuals. "These opinions are personal and do not represent the views of the government of Maldives," the statement read.
An official from the President's Office confirmed the suspensions but did not provide further details.
The remarks by the Ministers had invited widespread condemnation and criticism against the Maldivian officials.
#BoycottMaldives began trending on social media and several Indians, including celebrities, claimed to have cancelled their planned trips to the island nation.
Several users shared photos of picturesque Lakshadweep islands and celebrities promoted Indian tourism in reaction to the anti-India barbs by Maldivian leaders.
Celebrities such as Akshay Kumar, Salman Khan, John Abraham, Shraddha Kapoor and Kangana Ranaut have joined the discussion over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Lakshadweep.
Ties between the two countries took a downturn after Mohamed Muizzu took over as president of the Indian Ocean nation in November. His election pledge was to remove a small contingent of some 75 Indian military personnel in the country and alter the Maldives's "India first" policy.
Unlike most of his predecessors who visited India first after being elected, Muizzu chose Turkey as his first international port of call. He later met PM Modi in the United Arab Emirates on the sidelines of COP28.