During the ongoing controversy surrounding a derogatory tweet by a Maldives minister directed at Prime Minister Narendra Modi following his recent visit to Lakshadweep, several A-listed celebrities, including Akshay Kumar, Salman Khan, Kangana Ranaut, John Abraham, and Shraddha Kapoor, have taken to social media to encourage people to consider exploring the Indian archipelago as an alternative tourist destination.
The dispute arose on Saturday when Maldives minister Mariyam Shiuna mocked Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Lakshadweep visit, referring to him as a 'clown' and a 'puppet of Israel' in now-deleted posts on X (formerly known as Twitter). These tweets were subsequently removed due to the backlash on the micro-blogging site.
Despite the Maldives government's attempt on Sunday to distance itself from the insulting remarks made by its minister, continued outrage persisted on various social media platforms. In response to the situation, several Indian celebrities, including Akshay Kumar, Sachin Tendulkar, Salman Khan, Kangana Ranaut, John Abraham, and Shraddha Kapoor, have encouraged their fans to "explore Indian islands," leading to the hashtag trending on social media.
These Indian celebrities expressed their support for PM Modi's initiative to promote domestic tourism. Akshay Kumar, for instance, denounced the "unprovoked hate" in the comments made by Maldivian leaders and emphasized the importance of dignity. He encouraged people to support domestic tourism with the hashtag #ExploreIndianIslands.
Despite the Maldives government's attempt to distance itself from the controversy and warn its minister Mariyam Shiuna, the social media outrage and the call to explore Indian islands persisted. The government stated that freedom of expression should be exercised responsibly and that action would be taken against those making derogatory remarks.
