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India summons Maldives envoy to protest against remarks by ministers
The development came a day after the Maldives government suspended three deputy ministers over derogatory comments posted on social media
New Delhi: India on Monday summoned the Maldivian envoy to the external affairs ministry to express its strong concerns over derogatory comments made against the Indian leadership by several leaders of the ruling party in the Indian Ocean archipelago, people familiar with the matter said.
The development came a day after the Maldives government suspended three deputy ministers over derogatory comments posted on social media and distanced itself from the remarks, which it said didn’t reflect the views of the administration in Male.
The people said on condition of anonymity that Maldives high commissioner Ibrahim Shaheeb was summoned to the external affairs ministry on Monday morning and informed about India’s strong concerns at comments made by certain Maldivian ministers regarding Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
These concerns had also been conveyed to the Maldivian foreign ministry by the Indian high commission in Male on Sunday.
Monday’s development marked a further downturn in India-Maldives relations following the coming to power of the government led by President Mohamed Muizzu, who is perceived to be pro-China.
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Days after assuming office last November, Muizzu called on India to withdraw 77 Indian military personnel posted in the Maldives to operate two helicopters and an aircraft. Muizzu has also cast aside the “India First” policy followed by his predecessor, Ibrahim Solih, and said that Maldives is opposed to any presence of foreign military personnel.
The latest row erupted over the weekend after several Maldivian leaders, including the deputy ministers, reacted to posts on social media describing Lakshadweep as a tourist destination that rivals the Maldives following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to the islands.
The Maldives government initially distanced itself from the derogatory remarks of these leaders and subsequently suspended Malsha Shareef, Mariyam Shiuna and Abdulla Mahzoom Majid as deputy ministers in the ministry of youth empowerment, information and art.
The three deputy ministers had criticised Modi for his post on X following his visit to Lakshadweep, inferring that it was an attempt to project islands as an alternative tourist destination to the Maldives.
Zahid Rameez, a leader of the Progressive Party of Maldives that is part of the government, responded to social media posts on Lakshadweep by saying on X that the idea of the islands competing with the Maldives is “delusional”. Shiuna made a derogatory post on X that referred to the Indian premier as a “puppet of Israel”. She later deleted the post but screen grabs of it were widely shared on social media.
Their remarks were widely criticised in India by ministers and celebrities, who urged people on social media platforms to explore domestic tourist destinations such as the Lakshadweep islands. There were also posts on social media that said some Indians were cancelled trips to the Maldives because of the row.
Revenue from the tourism industry is a major part Maldives’ GDP, with visitors from India accounting for the largest numbers among the overall figures for 2023. According to the tourism ministry of the Maldives, of the 1.8 million tourists who visited the country last year, Indians were at the top spot with 209,198 arrivals, followed by Russia (209,146) and China (187,118).
