The Maldivian envoy to India was on January 8 summoned to the External Affairs Ministry and was conveyed strong concern over remarks posted on social media against Prime Minister Narendra Modi by a number of ministers of the Maldives, PTI reported, quoting sources.
ANI reported that Maldives Envoy to India, Ibrahim Shaheeb, was seen leaving the Ministry of External Affairs on January 8 morning. The Maldives High Commissioner was seen arriving at the MEA office building and leaving a short while later, the agency reported.
This comes amid a row over derogatory social media remarks by some ministers in the Maldives Government on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Lakshadweep. On January 2, he visited the Union Territory and shared several pictures, including one of him trying his hand at snorkelling. In a post on X, he said, “For those who wish to embrace the adventurer in them, Lakshadweep has to be on your list.”
‘Unacceptable’, says Maldives Government
In a post that has now been deleted, the Maldivian Deputy Minister of Youth Empowerment, Mariyam Shiuna, made a mocking and disrespectful reference to PM Modi. The Maldives Government has distanced itself from the remarks made by its ministers.
The government of the Maldives suspended three Deputy Ministers for derogatory social media posts against Mr. Modi on Jan. 7. According to Maldivian media reports, Deputy Ministers in the Youth Ministry, Malsha Shareef, Mariyam Shiuna and Abdulla Mahzoom Majid, were suspended over their posts. They criticised Mr. Modi for his post on X following his visit to Lakshadweep, inferring that it was an attempt to project the Union Territory as an alternative tourist destination to the Maldives.
The Maldivian Foreign Ministry said the government is aware of "derogatory remarks" on social media platforms against foreign leaders and that the personal views do not represent its position. "The government of Maldives is 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 Maldivian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Jan. 7.
Maldivian Minister of Foreign Affairs Moosa Zameer said that these remarks against foreign leaders are “unacceptable” and do not reflect the official position of the Maldives government. He stated that the Maldives remains committed to fostering a “positive and constructive dialogue” with all its partners, particularly its neighbours.
In a post shared on X, he stated, “The recent remarks against foreign leaders and our close neighbours are unacceptable and do not reflect the official position of the Government of #Maldives. We remain committed to fostering a positive and constructive dialogue with all our partners, especially our neighbours, based on mutual respect and understanding.”
On Sunday, the former Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih stated that New Delhi has always been a good friend to the island nation. Taking to his official handle on X, Mr. Solih posted, “I condemn the use of hateful language against India by Maldivian government officials on social media.” He stressed that “India has always been a good friend to the Maldives and we must not allow such callous remarks to negatively impact the age-old friendship between our two countries.”
Former Maldivian Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid said the objectionable remarks against the former and fellow Indian natives on social media are ‘reprehensible’ and ‘odious’. He also called on the Maldivian government to identify the officials responsible and reprimand them.
In New Delhi, official sources said the Indian High Commission in Male strongly raised the matter with the Maldivian Foreign Ministry on Jan. 7. The disparaging remarks by the Ministers have drawn flak in India, with many celebrities urging people on X to explore domestic tourist destinations instead of going to the Maldives. There were also posts on social media claiming that some Indians are cancelling their scheduled trip to the Maldives in view of the row.
A section of India’s film fraternity, too, came out in support of PM Modi and strongly criticised the derogatory remarks by Maldivian leaders against the country and its leader. They also voiced support for PM Modi’s call for promoting beach tourism in Lakshadweep.
