Maldives Takes Action Against Ministers for Insulting India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi as "Terrorist" and "Clown"

The Maldives has suspended three deputy ministers after they made derogatory comments about India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The officials referred to Mr. Modi as a "clown", "terrorist", and a "puppet of Israel" in response to a social media post he made. The Maldives' foreign ministry emphasized that these comments were personal and did not represent the views of the government. The decision to suspend the officials came after the remarks sparked outrage on Indian social media. The three ministers, Malsha Shareef, Mariyam Shiuna, and Abdulla Mahzoom Majid, had made the controversial comments in response to Mr. Modi's post promoting tourism to the Lakshadweep islands. The situation has caused tension between India and the Maldives, as it comes after the new Maldivian president, Mohamed Muizzu, asked Indian troops to leave the country. Despite calls for their dismissal, the officials have only been suspended. This incident has led to hashtags such as #BoycottMaldives and #ExploreIndianIslands trending on social media, with some Indians vowing to cancel their trips to the Maldives. The CEO of an Indian ticket-booking site announced the suspension of all flight bookings to the Maldives. The controversy is seen as a diplomatic setback for India, which is attempting to counter China's growing influence in the Indian Ocean region. However, the Maldivian government's decision to suspend the officials may help prevent further damage to the relationship between the two countries.