During a recent visit to Lakshadweep, Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared photos of his trip on social media. Several users responded comparing the islands with the Maldives, located further down south in the Indian Ocean. This became a diplomatic row when three deputy ministers at the Youth Ministry of Maldives — Malsha Shareef, Maryam Shiuna and Mahzoom Majid — also commented on the posts on X making disparaging remarks against India and Mr. Modi. The Maldivian foreign ministry distanced itself from their remarks, saying their personal views did not represent the country’s position. The Maldivian government suspended them.
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Meanwhile, the comments led to an uproar on Indian social media, with many claiming that they were cancelling their scheduled trips to the Maldives. Whether this actually has an impact on tourist arrivals in the Maldives is yet to be seen. Indian celebrities also urged people to explore domestic tourist destinations, including Lakshadweep. A former sports minister of the Maldives, Ahmed Mahloof, expressed concern over the row saying “Indians boycotting the Maldives” will hit the country hard.
