On Sunday, the Maldives government took the decision to suspend three of its ministers—Malsha Shareef, Mariyam Shiuna, and Abdulla Mahzoom Majid—after they shared offensive remarks on social media against Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Lakshadweep. The suspension followed India raising the matter with the Maldives. Notably, Mariyam Shiuna had referred to PM Modi as a "clown" and "puppet" in now-deleted posts on X, prompting a backlash on the micro-blogging site.
In another now-deleted post, Abdulla Mahzoom Majid commented on PM Modi's Lakshadweep visit, stating, "While I wish success for India's tourism, targeting the Maldives so explicitly isn't diplomatic." The Maldives government, in response to the derogatory remarks, emphasized that they do not reflect the official views of the Maldivian government.
Former Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed and ex-Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid also condemned Mariyam Shiuna's offensive remarks against PM Modi, describing it as "appalling language." The incident led to sharp criticism against Maldivian officials, with calls for a boycott. Several celebrities, including Akshay Kumar, Salman Khan, John Abraham, Shraddha Kapoor, and Kangana Ranaut, joined the discussion on PM Modi's Lakshadweep visit, directly mentioning the Maldivian response.
