A row has erupted between India and the Maldives after the Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, visited the Indian islands of Lakshadweep to promote tourism.
The visit was perceived by some in the Maldives as an attempt to draw tourists away from the archipelago in the Indian Ocean, whose economy is heavily dependent on tourism.
Three Maldivian ministers have been suspended after making derogatory comments about Modi on social media, describing him as a “terrorist” and a “clown”. The Maldives foreign ministry said the comments – later deleted – were made in a personal capacity and did not represent the official government view.
The Lakshadweep archipelago lies adjacent to the Maldives and shares similar white sand beaches and crystal blue waters, but has so far been underdeveloped.
“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 international partners,” the Maldives government said in a statement.
On Monday, India’s ministry of external affairs summoned the Maldivian envoy over the insults and one of India’s largest travel platforms suspended flight bookings to the islands. Many people in India have pledged to boycott travel to the Maldives in response to the comments, which were condemned by the former Maldivian prime minister Mohamed Solih as “hateful”.
The largest number of visitors to the Maldives come from India and Russia. Tourism accounts for almost a third of its economy, according to the World Bank.
Relations between the two countries have become more turbulent after the election of the Maldivian president, Mohamed Muizzu, in September.
He is seen to have better relations with China and had fought an “India out” election campaign promising to lesson its influence over the archipelago and remove dozens of Indian army personnel who had been posted there.
Muizzu is due to make a five-day visit China this week but has yet to make an official visit to India since he was elected, a departure from previous prime ministers that many have seen as a snub. The visit is likely to come as a blow to Delhi, which sees the strategically placed Maldives as critical in its attempt to lessen China’s influence in the Indian Ocean region.
