The problem of some members of President Mohamed Muizzu's government making derogatory remarks about Prime Minister Narendra Modi was "strongly raised" by the Indian High Commission in the Maldives on Sunday. Three Deputy Ministers who are at the center of the controversy that started the day before Mr. Muizzu is supposed to leave for his maiden trip to China have been suspended by the Maldivian government.
“Our High Commission in Maldives had strongly raised and expressed concerns about the comments made in regard to PM by certain Ministers in the Maldives Government with the Foreign Office today,” a source said.
After the Prime Minister's recent visit to Lakshadweep, three Deputy Ministers in the Ministry of Youth Affairs—Maryam Shiuna, Malsha Shareef, and Mahzoom Majid—made derogatory remarks against India and Mr. Modi. This sparked the controversy. Ms. Shiuna spoke negatively about Mr. Modi and mentioned India's relationship with Israel in a post on the social media site X. Following suit, her colleagues stated that the Indian PM's visit to Lakshadweep was intended to put Maldivian tourism—which takes great pride in its well-known seaside amenities—under pressure. Indian visitors quickly canceled their hotel reservations in the Maldives as a result of these remarks, which were further reinforced by their followers. The verbal spat on social media heated up.
The Maldivian Foreign Ministry stated that "it believes in freedom of expression but that has to be exercised in a responsible manner," as the Muizzu government attempted to downplay the comments in an attempt to contain the damage. "These are personal opinions; they do not reflect the beliefs of the Maldivian government." Furthermore, the Foreign Ministry stated that individuals who make such disparaging remarks will face consequences from the appropriate government authorities without hesitation. Later on, all three of the Deputy Ministers were suspended.
Tension has increased due to the verbal spat that preceded the China visit, since Mr. Muizzu made headlines shortly after taking office in November by demanding that India remove its military forces from the archipelago. India has maintained that the primary purpose of its military deployment in the Indian Ocean nation is to supply medical assistance to its remote islands.
