Three deputy ministers in the Maldives were disciplined for derogatory social media posts about Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Malsha Shareef, Mariyam Shiuna, and Abdulla Mahzoom Majid were suspended after making remarks calling Modi a “clown”, “terrorist”, and a “puppet of Israel” in response to a video promoting tourism in Lakshadweep, an Indian territory. Some in the Maldives saw Modi’s visit as a ploy to draw tourists away from the popular Maldives resorts. The Indian High Commission raised the issue with the Maldivian government, and Indian celebrities expressed concern over the comments. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Maldives stated that the opinions expressed were personal and did not represent the government’s views. Former Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih condemned the hateful language and emphasized the importance of the friendship between India and the Maldives. President Mohamed Muizzu ordered an investigation into the matter, particularly out of concern for the impact on the economy due to the large number of Indian tourists. The incident occurred just days before Muizzu was scheduled to visit China, highlighting ongoing competition for influence in the region between India and China. Despite campaign promises to alter the Maldives’ “India first” policy and remove Indian military presence, Muizzu has since said he would not replace Indian forces with Chinese troops.
Maldives suspends three officials for making insulting remarks about Indian PM Modi on social media
