The Maldives government has suspended three deputy ministers for disparaging India's prime minister, an official said on Sunday, during a dip in ties with its powerful neighbour.

Maldives sacks 3 ministers for insulting comments on PM Modi | India-Maldives derogatory comment row

<p>Amitabh Bachchan has become the latest celebrity to promote the mystic beauty of the Indian island of Lakshadweep amid the escalating controversy over the derogatory remarks by Maldivian politicians against Prime Minister Narendra Modi after his visit to the Lakshadweep island.</p>

<p>The legendary actor, who is an ardent social media user, took part in the initiative to promote tourism on the Indian islands of Lakshwadeep and Andaman.</p>

<p>Reacting to cricketer Virendra Sehwag's post on X, Bachchan went on to praise the pristine beauty of the two Indian Islands.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
He wrote, "Viru paji .. this is so relevant and in the right spirit of our land .. our own are the very best .. I have been to Lakshadweep and Andamans and they are such astonishingly beautiful locations .. stunning waters beaches and the underwater experience is simply unbelievable .. हम भारत हैं , हम आत्मनिर्भर हैं , हमारी आत्मनिर्भरता पे आँच मत डालिये जय हिन्द 🇮🇳🇮🇳🇮🇳 @virendersehwag"</p>

<p>Starting from Sunday (Jan 7), many celebrities like Akshay Kumar, Salman Khan, Kangana Ranaut, John Abraham, and cricketer Sachin Tendulkar shared support for Lakshadweep using&nbsp;#ExploreIndianIslands as they praised the beauty of Indian Islands that are unexplored.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Viru paji .. this is so relevant and in the right spirit of our land .. our own are the very best .. I have been to Lakshadweep and Andamans and they are such astonishingly beautiful locations .. stunning waters beaches and the underwater experience is simply unbelievable ..<br />
हम… <a href="https://t.co/NM400eJAbm">https://t.co/NM400eJAbm</a></p>
— Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) <a href="https://twitter.com/SrBachchan/status/1744230422551441906?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2024</a></blockquote>
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<p>Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar, who never shies away from putting forward his view, took to X to condemn the derogatory comments from prominent public figures in the Maldives.</p>

<p>"Came across comments from prominent public figures from Maldives passing hateful and racist comments on Indians. Surprised that they are doing this to a country that sends them the maximum number of tourists. We are good to our neighbors but why should we tolerate such unprovoked hate? I've visited the Maldives many times and always praised it, but dignity first. Let us decide to #ExploreIndianIslands and support our own tourism," Kumar posted on X.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>The India-Maldives Row</strong></p>

<p>The rift began after Maldivian Minister Mariyam Shiuna made disparaging remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Lakshwadeep. Later, two more Maldivian ministers, Malsha Shareef, and Mahzoom Majid, commented&nbsp;on the PM's visit to the Lakshadweep island.</p>

<p>Shiuna, who is the Deputy Minister of Youth Empowerment in the Maldives, called PM Modi 'clown' and 'puppet of Israel' on X.&nbsp; Reacting to the derogatory remarks, the Maldives government later suspended all three politicians.</p>


Amitabh Bachchan has become the latest celebrity to promote the mystic beauty of the Indian island of Lakshadweep amid the escalating controversy over the derogatory remarks by Maldivian politicians against Prime Minister Narendra Modi after his visit to the Lakshadweep island.

Amitabh Bachchan has become the latest celebrity to promote the mystic beauty of the Indian island of Lakshadweep amid the escalating controversy over the derogatory remarks by Maldivian politicians against Prime Minister Narendra Modi after his visit to the Lakshadweep island. The legendary actor, who is an ardent social media user, took part in the initiative to promote tourism on the Indian islands of Lakshwadeep and Andaman. Reacting to cricketer Virendra Sehwag's post on X, Bachchan went on to praise the pristine beauty of the two Indian Islands. He wrote, "Viru paji .. this is so relevant and in the right spirit of our land .. our own are the very best .. I have been to Lakshadweep and Andamans and they are such astonishingly beautiful locations .. stunning waters beaches and the underwater experience is simply unbelievable .. हम भारत हैं , हम आत्मनिर्भर हैं , हमारी आत्मनिर्भरता पे आँच मत डालिये जय हिन्द 🇮🇳🇮🇳🇮🇳 @virendersehwag" Starting from Sunday (Jan 7), many celebrities like Akshay Kumar, Salman Khan, Kangana Ranaut, John Abraham, and cricketer Sachin Tendulkar shared support for Lakshadweep using #ExploreIndianIslands as they praised the beauty of Indian Islands that are unexplored. Viru paji .. this is so relevant and in the right spirit of our land .. our own are the very best .. I have been to Lakshadweep and Andamans and they are such astonishingly beautiful locations .. stunning waters beaches and the underwater experience is simply unbelievable .. हम… https://t.co/NM400eJAbm — Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) January 8, 2024 × Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar, who never shies away from putting forward his view, took to X to condemn the derogatory comments from prominent public figures in the Maldives. "Came across comments from prominent public figures from Maldives passing hateful and racist comments on Indians. Surprised that they are doing this to a country that sends them the maximum number of tourists. We are good to our neighbors but why should we tolerate such unprovoked hate? I've visited the Maldives many times and always praised it, but dignity first. Let us decide to #ExploreIndianIslands and support our own tourism," Kumar posted on X. The India-Maldives Row The rift began after Maldivian Minister Mariyam Shiuna made disparaging remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Lakshwadeep. Later, two more Maldivian ministers, Malsha Shareef, and Mahzoom Majid, commented on the PM's visit to the Lakshadweep island. Shiuna, who is the Deputy Minister of Youth Empowerment in the Maldives, called PM Modi 'clown' and 'puppet of Israel' on X. Reacting to the derogatory remarks, the Maldives government later suspended all three politicians.

Amitabh Bachchan hails the beauty of Lakshadweep amid Maldives row: India is ‘aatmanirbhar’

<p>Former Vice President of the Maldives and former tourism minister Ahmed Adeeb spoke to WION's Sidhant Sibal where he condemned the recent derogatory remarks made against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi by sitting ministers Mariyam Shiuna and Hassan Zihan who were later suspended.</p>

<p><strong>Read the full interview here:&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p><br />
<strong>WION:</strong> With me is Ahmed Adeeb. He was the vice president of Maldives and the tourism minister as well, someone who played a key role in terms of making the brand Maldives in terms of tourism. So, welcome to WION. How do you see the developments which we have seen in the last 24 hours? The comments by sitting Maldivian ministers who are now former. And of course, the reaction by the Maldives government.</p>

<p><strong>Ahmed Adeeb:</strong> Thank you. It's a very sad incident. I think it's something that should have never happened, and I'm glad that the Maldives government took the initiative to suspend them. This is another episode where we should be always careful not to offend our neighbours and also our friendly relations. And especially their comments on Prime Minister Modi were very racist and also very derogatory. It is not acceptable. And I think there's a very sad reaction from the public of India as well. So because of all that, I would conclude that this is something that should have never happened and also that this is something that should not be repeated.</p>

<p><strong>WION:</strong> How do you see the India-Maldives relationship, if you can talk about it, given that you were the vice president of Maldives and have been engaging with the Indian government a lot?</p>

<p><strong>Ahmed Adeeb:</strong> Yes. What I see is that Maldives and India, have so much history, and we have been always together. And during our time, it was actually during President Yamin's time, that this second helicopter agreement was signed. So these are things that didn't happen suddenly, but these are diplomatic relations. There were military relations and investment relations. So all these were very good until 2018, when President Yamin decided, when he lost the election, to start an India out campaign, and that party continued it, and which is now inherited by Dr Moise. Still, some elements in the party are against the relationship between Maldives and India, but I would say between the people of Maldives and the people of India, I think the relationship is warm. It's just very few people and also some extreme elements in the party. Other than that, what I see is that people to people, as well as government to government, the Maldives in India, should always have to have a friendly relationship because we are too close and we depend on each other, so we cannot distance ourselves.</p>

<p><strong>WION:</strong> Now, talking about the current government, we have seen the Maldives president choosing other countries as his first visit. He, in fact, is visiting China. Now he's left Maldives for China on a state visit. Do you see the government taking a markedly anti-India stance?</p>

<p><strong>Ahmed Adeeb:</strong> So it's been, like two months to the government so I'm also an observer, as you are. So what I see that is...what should have happened was the first state visit should be to India, which has been practised by almost all the presidents, including President Yamin himself. So this didn't happen. So what we see is, I would say, there are elements of anti-India in the party itself, and it is yet to be seen what the real government decisions they will take in the next few months, especially this trip as well. So we are yet to see what is the real stand of the government.</p>

<p><strong>WION:</strong> So my final question to you is, do you think that the action taken by the government is a case of too little, too late? And if the suspension and the termination should have happened?</p>

<p><strong>Ahmed Adeeb:</strong> Yeah, I believe that first it should be taken immediately. It should have never waited until it became a big social media thing against Maldives. So they should have taken action. And as well as this is too little, I've seen, actually, they should have resigned or made them resign or set them, because this is very embarrassing and also very sad for the country because now they are in power, they are the ruling party, so now they cannot be activists. So they have to be more responsible, I would say.</p>

<p><strong>WION:</strong> Well, thank you so much, sir, for speaking to WION at such short notice. Thank you so much, sir.</p>


Former Vice President of the Maldives and former tourism minister Ahmed Adeeb spoke to WION's Sidhant Sibal where he condemned the recent derogatory remarks made against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi by sitting ministers Mariyam Shiuna and Hassan Zihan who were later suspended.

Former Vice President of the Maldives and former tourism minister Ahmed Adeeb spoke to WION's Sidhant Sibal where he condemned the recent derogatory remarks made against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi by sitting ministers Mariyam Shiuna and Hassan Zihan who were later suspended. Read the full interview here: WION: With me is Ahmed Adeeb. He was the vice president of Maldives and the tourism minister as well, someone who played a key role in terms of making the brand Maldives in terms of tourism. So, welcome to WION. How do you see the developments which we have seen in the last 24 hours? The comments by sitting Maldivian ministers who are now former. And of course, the reaction by the Maldives government. Ahmed Adeeb: Thank you. It's a very sad incident. I think it's something that should have never happened, and I'm glad that the Maldives government took the initiative to suspend them. This is another episode where we should be always careful not to offend our neighbours and also our friendly relations. And especially their comments on Prime Minister Modi were very racist and also very derogatory. It is not acceptable. And I think there's a very sad reaction from the public of India as well. So because of all that, I would conclude that this is something that should have never happened and also that this is something that should not be repeated. WION: How do you see the India-Maldives relationship, if you can talk about it, given that you were the vice president of Maldives and have been engaging with the Indian government a lot? Ahmed Adeeb: Yes. What I see is that Maldives and India, have so much history, and we have been always together. And during our time, it was actually during President Yamin's time, that this second helicopter agreement was signed. So these are things that didn't happen suddenly, but these are diplomatic relations. There were military relations and investment relations. So all these were very good until 2018, when President Yamin decided, when he lost the election, to start an India out campaign, and that party continued it, and which is now inherited by Dr Moise. Still, some elements in the party are against the relationship between Maldives and India, but I would say between the people of Maldives and the people of India, I think the relationship is warm. It's just very few people and also some extreme elements in the party. Other than that, what I see is that people to people, as well as government to government, the Maldives in India, should always have to have a friendly relationship because we are too close and we depend on each other, so we cannot distance ourselves. WION: Now, talking about the current government, we have seen the Maldives president choosing other countries as his first visit. He, in fact, is visiting China. Now he's left Maldives for China on a state visit. Do you see the government taking a markedly anti-India stance? Ahmed Adeeb: So it's been, like two months to the government so I'm also an observer, as you are. So what I see that is...what should have happened was the first state visit should be to India, which has been practised by almost all the presidents, including President Yamin himself. So this didn't happen. So what we see is, I would say, there are elements of anti-India in the party itself, and it is yet to be seen what the real government decisions they will take in the next few months, especially this trip as well. So we are yet to see what is the real stand of the government. WION: So my final question to you is, do you think that the action taken by the government is a case of too little, too late? And if the suspension and the termination should have happened? Ahmed Adeeb: Yeah, I believe that first it should be taken immediately. It should have never waited until it became a big social media thing against Maldives. So they should have taken action. And as well as this is too little, I've seen, actually, they should have resigned or made them resign or set them, because this is very embarrassing and also very sad for the country because now they are in power, they are the ruling party, so now they cannot be activists. So they have to be more responsible, I would say. WION: Well, thank you so much, sir, for speaking to WION at such short notice. Thank you so much, sir.

Exclusive: Ex-vice president calls current India-Maldives row ‘very sad’ incident

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<p>Maria Didi, the former defence minister of Maldives, spoke to WION's Sidhant Sibal and weighed in on the India-Maldives relationship. She also spoke about the comments made by now suspended ministers, Mariyam Shiuna and Hassan Zihan. The remarks were derogatory to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and were widely condemned.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The minister also spoke about the presence of Indian troops in the country, pointing out that they are technical people to support humanitarian assistance in the country.<br />
<br />
Read the full interview here:&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>WION:</strong>&nbsp;With me is Maria Didi, a very good friend of India and former Defence Minister of Maldives in the previous government, a former parliamentarian. Ma'am welcome to WION, it's always great to have a conversation with you. My first question to you is your reaction to the developments we have seen, how there were remarks made by sitting ministers of the government in Maldives and now of course they have been suspended. So what's your reaction?</p>

<p><strong>Mariya Didi:</strong>&nbsp;It's very irresponsible, totally unprovoked, uncalled for something that you should not as ministers do with the closest neighbour, from whom we have had time immemorial relationships that are so close. We have...India has always come to our rescue whenever we needed it, let it be on November 3, when we had the terrorist command attackers, then the water crisis and most recently just the other day when we had the COVID pandemic, you went out of your way to give us vaccines even before you inoculated your whole population. That is how close we have been and Indian tourists came to the Maldives and we were able to recover our economies with much help. I can remember even in the Defence exhibition and conference we had your Defence Minister, he said, you know, stronger in India, means stronger India, you know, and a stronger India means stronger Maldives. So the bonds that we keep are very, very important. I mean, you eat curry, we eat curry. We play Hindi songs, you all play Hindi songs. You know, before we had cable and all that, we were infringing copyright as well, but you shut your eyes and you just let it be because we were so small and you thought, you know, that even entertainment, why it was good? So Maldives have had this love for Hindi movies, love for curry and recently what I find is even Panipuri is a favourite of Maldives and I have seen them eat it, you know and it's sad that ministers don't realise, you know, that they are no longer social media activists and that they have to be responsible and whatever they say reflects on the country and there will be consequences.</p>

<p><strong>WION:</strong>&nbsp;Ma'am, you have been to India several times as a minister, and WION had conversation with you here in Delhi. Now how do you see India-Maldives relationship? If you can shed light on that, how strong this relationship has been?</p>

<p><strong>Mariya Didi:</strong>&nbsp;You know, like Canada and USA, they are also neighbours, they share a very close relationship. But Maldives relationship with India goes back so much more, you know, even before the USA and Canada came into existence because they are part of the new world. We have had this strong relationship with, there has been trade going on between the two countries, you know, culture-wise we are the same, we are all brown people as we say nowadays, you know, and I don't see even look twice, you know, there is no difference between Indians and Maldives. The language is similar, the food is similar, our way of thinking is similar and for me, what I think is even God made us such that India and Maldives are even geographically situated so close to each other. When we are unwell, we go to India for treatment. If they want to have a holiday, you know, recently there was school holidays, I think most of my friends are going to India and I studied in India when I was younger. Many in Maldives have studied in India, so the friendship, the closeness that we have had, I don't know why, you know, Maldives have always been hospitable to foreigners and our tourism industry is totally based on the hospitality that we offer to the guests that we come. You would notice that there are many resorts in other places like the Caribbean and all that also, but the hospitality, the friendliness, the Maldives and resort workers offers, the butlers whoever is there offers to your people, it is totally unique because that is there in us that we honour our friends and those who visit us. We are grateful people, you know, whenever we need something, you know, India has come to our rescue and for that, people of Maldives are very grateful. It is sad to see, you know, something like this happening and for us to have to talk about this is also a very sad situation.</p>

<p><strong>WION:</strong>&nbsp;Ma'am, you were the Defence Minister and we have seen increased defence engagement as well if you can talk about the capacity building which have taken place when it comes to the defence aspect and the role the Indian assets have done in terms of evacuation because you have seen all of it.</p>

<p><strong>Mariya Didi:</strong>&nbsp;Yes, you know, whenever anyone is here, you know, Indian helicopters go and lift them to Malay where they can be attended to. The Indian Donya has helped us a lot, search and rescue everything and recently there was a boy, you know who got lost and I don't know for whatever reason, we didn't see the Donya which is equipped with special equipment for search and rescue. It wasn't used, you know, a small sesma went up and we haven't found the boy's still, so it's really sad that the ordinary Maldivian, you know, that family, they would be, I'm sure thinking, you know, that if they had the special equipment, you know, deployed at the place that we did during our time, most probably, you know, we would have found the boy but because of whatever, you know, they have said during the campaign and things, you know, they shouldn't really risk life of ordinary Maldivians just because they have said something, you know, they come to take care of us and as a government, they should be responsible and they should use whatever they can to save the lives of ordinary Maldivians. As for capacity building, we did a lot, you know, we got Hooravi, a new Hooravi, there was a replacement, you know, for Hooravi, the Indian ship, there was Khamiya, the new ship that we got, you know, so assets-wise also, the Donya came in, we are building the repair facility in UTF and when the present administration was saying they were, when they came to government they were talking about thousands of troops on the ground here, Indian troops and they have found that there are only 89 people and everyone of them engaged in a humanitarian role. So whatever we have said in the past, we have not been, you know, there's no secrets going on between two countries, you know, we were, you all were helping us to build our capacity so that, you know, if the situation arises we could look after our houses at least till we get help from other friendly neighbours.</p>

<p><strong>WION:</strong>&nbsp;Ma'am, you started by saying that there was a boy who went missing and the Maldivian authorities did not allow usage of the Indian assets.</p>

<p><strong>Mariya Didi:</strong>&nbsp;So I don't know whether they allowed or not, we didn't see it being used, that's all I think.</p>

<p><strong>WION:</strong>&nbsp;Okay so the Indian assets weren't used and there was a boy who got....who was still missing because of the government. Ma'am so the current government has basically come on a plan which is strongly anti-India. We saw the anti-India movement as well and one of the basic plan has been the removal of the Indian troops while acknowledging the role of the Indian assets as well. How do you see this entire comments being made and essentially the relationship not moving because of what the current government has been saying. There's a committee also which has been formed as well. So how do you make off it....the so-called removal of Indian troops demand by the current government?</p>

<p><strong>Mariya Didi:</strong>&nbsp;The thing is, you know, you saw how many Maldivian lives were saved during the time. You know, when they were being used, they were being used totally for in a human carrying capacity. Whenever the Indian helicopters were like, you know, they were being replaced with spares were coming and all that. We have always, you know, been asking them, you know, when are they coming and all that and especially the ordinary Maldivian here in the island, you know, they always like, you know, they felt very secure that if supposing there was the need they could be airlifted. Do you see perhaps, you know, in the past when helicopters were engaged in the world, it's a new, you know, those diving accidents and all these things, they can only be lifted in a helicopter, you know, like it can't go above a certain height. So helicopters have been used, but in the past when private parties have used helicopters in the world, it has been very dangerous. You know, many times we have had helicopter incidents, but in sure along with the Indian helicopters, because they use the most modern equipment and their personnel are very trained, very expert. I have seen, you know, in the land, in places where people have never been before they land, they do many evacuations which on the normal circumstances ordinary civilian pilots cannot do because that's because as a Defence Minister they have shown me and I have seen it. You know, a friend of mine who was, who is in Lamu, and he was telling me....the people the other day they were saying, you know...there's so many tests that are done before the helicopter takes off, and so many tests that are done when it comes off, you know, comes down. So 20 people to look after this, you know, to make sure Maldivians are safe when they apply the helicopters, it's normal, you know, but people are saying, what do you need...that makes people for a helicopter maintenance. Yes, we do, whether it's one or two, there's a bare minimum that is needed, you know, and then we are getting it free, but to waste Maldivian taxpayers'&nbsp;money for something that the friends are offering free. I mean, I totally don't get it, but if that be the will of the Maldivians always, you know, in the government also said, you know, they will honour it. It was the government's request that these have always been provided to us.</p>

<p><strong>WION:</strong>&nbsp;I'm moving the projector to the broader aspect of the relationship. Now tourism is something that has been a key pillar of this relationship. Do you see that because of these comments by now ex-ministers of the Maldivian government, there will be a lasting damage to your tourism industry?</p>

<p><strong>Mariya Didi:&nbsp;</strong>I hope not, you know, last year the most tourist arrival numbers were from India. We have always seen that there is an affluent society in the neighbours. They always prefer to come to their neighbors because it's shorter, it's easier to get there. There are so many flights from India to Maldivians, but we have to understand that we are unique in some ways, but nothing is irreplaceable in this world. You know, so we have to really think we have to guard our tourism industry. We have to promote it. We have to present ourselves as people who are welcoming. If we want tourists to come here, not...you know, show antagonism and make disparaging remarks about their elected leaders and others, you know, and we have to be sensitive to the thoughts and the feelings of others as well. So far what I have seen is that we have been irresponsible in that sense and we would to some extent suffer the damages because I saw on social media, once the tourists who had come, she made a remark about Maldives and the way, you know Maldavian social media reacted, you know, she had to make her Twitter (X) account private because it was too much. What we have to understand is that even others would have the love for it. We have to learn to live in a globalized world, you know, just because this government has come on a national agent, the same Maldives is for Maldavian or whatever, you know, that means we didn't get our attention. It doesn't necessarily mean that we can, you know, survive without our tourists coming to Maldives and, you know, us not being nice to them. So it's a sad day for all of us. It's a very sad day for all of us. I'm sure, you know, a lot of my Indian friends have been sending messages to me also saying that we complement each other, not compete with each other, you know, we respect each other. And I think we have to make a conscious effort with all our people, Maldivians as well, to tell them that, you know, relationships are mutual. If they want to go and get themselves attended for medical purposes and other purposes in India and want friends to come and help us in the medicines that they should respect, you know, the others as well. And try to, like, you know, treat them like how we would want to be treated as well when we go to another country or as relationship friends, neighbors, live as friends and neighbors, it's a sad day for the region as well, you know, because we have had so much defense cooperation, we have had exchange of information, we have been doing so much together. Most Maldivians in the defence sector are trained in India, so in many ways it's a sad day.</p>

<p><strong>WION:&nbsp;</strong>So essentially a politicisation you think is being done by the current government when it comes to this relationship, as you pointed out, just 89 Indian troops present. So do you see this politicization will come to an end?</p>

<p><strong>Mariya Didi:</strong>&nbsp;The thing is like, you know, they kept on seeing troops. We were always saying they are here on a humanitarian role. So they are not even troops as such, you know, they are technical people who are here to help other than ordinary Maldivians, you know, who cannot afford, you know, a helicopter or things to get basic services like, you know, when they are here than others. So I hope the government comes to its senses. I hope they start valuing friendships. I hope they start respecting neighbors. I hope President Mouis always take some sort of action against the ministers and hold them accountable so that other ministers also realize, you know, that this is not how ministers should behave. It is sad that one of them, the gentleman there, he was a member of the armed forces and he had made remarks on social media that was not in line with the armed forces policy on social media, which was why he was dismissed from the armed forces. But because he says something that they want to hear, you know, he was brought in as a minister. The sad thing is, you know, it's the same thing happens in the defense forces today. How are they going to maintain discipline there? This is something that always makes me that sad. Once you do something, then there was no politicization or anything of why he was dismissed. That would be, that is for all of our motives, you know, but then for him to come in as a minister, because he was not made to take responsibility for his actions before, because the present government ignored it. Today, a young person who is qualified is now having to really suffer the consequences.</p>

<p><strong>WION:&nbsp;</strong>Well, thank you so much, ma'am, for speaking to me. It's a pleasure to speak to you and get an overview of how the people and politicians think about this very important relationship. Thank you so much, ma'am.</p>

<p><strong>Mariya Didi:&nbsp;</strong>Thank you, Sidhant. Lovely to talk to you and hopefully this will get resolved soon.</p>


Maria Didi, the former defence minister of Maldives, spoke to WION's Sidhant Sibal and weighed in on the India-Maldives relationship. She also spoke about the comments made by now suspended ministers, Mariyam Shiuna and Hassan Zihan.

Maria Didi, the former defence minister of Maldives, spoke to WION's Sidhant Sibal and weighed in on the India-Maldives relationship. She also spoke about the comments made by now suspended ministers, Mariyam Shiuna and Hassan Zihan. The remarks were derogatory to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and were widely condemned. The minister also spoke about the presence of Indian troops in the country, pointing out that they are technical people to support humanitarian assistance in the country. Read the full interview here: WION: With me is Maria Didi, a very good friend of India and former Defence Minister of Maldives in the previous government, a former parliamentarian. Ma'am welcome to WION, it's always great to have a conversation with you. My first question to you is your reaction to the developments we have seen, how there were remarks made by sitting ministers of the government in Maldives and now of course they have been suspended. So what's your reaction? Mariya Didi: It's very irresponsible, totally unprovoked, uncalled for something that you should not as ministers do with the closest neighbour, from whom we have had time immemorial relationships that are so close. We have...India has always come to our rescue whenever we needed it, let it be on November 3, when we had the terrorist command attackers, then the water crisis and most recently just the other day when we had the COVID pandemic, you went out of your way to give us vaccines even before you inoculated your whole population. That is how close we have been and Indian tourists came to the Maldives and we were able to recover our economies with much help. I can remember even in the Defence exhibition and conference we had your Defence Minister, he said, you know, stronger in India, means stronger India, you know, and a stronger India means stronger Maldives. So the bonds that we keep are very, very important. I mean, you eat curry, we eat curry. We play Hindi songs, you all play Hindi songs. You know, before we had cable and all that, we were infringing copyright as well, but you shut your eyes and you just let it be because we were so small and you thought, you know, that even entertainment, why it was good? So Maldives have had this love for Hindi movies, love for curry and recently what I find is even Panipuri is a favourite of Maldives and I have seen them eat it, you know and it's sad that ministers don't realise, you know, that they are no longer social media activists and that they have to be responsible and whatever they say reflects on the country and there will be consequences. WION: Ma'am, you have been to India several times as a minister, and WION had conversation with you here in Delhi. Now how do you see India-Maldives relationship? If you can shed light on that, how strong this relationship has been? Mariya Didi: You know, like Canada and USA, they are also neighbours, they share a very close relationship. But Maldives relationship with India goes back so much more, you know, even before the USA and Canada came into existence because they are part of the new world. We have had this strong relationship with, there has been trade going on between the two countries, you know, culture-wise we are the same, we are all brown people as we say nowadays, you know, and I don't see even look twice, you know, there is no difference between Indians and Maldives. The language is similar, the food is similar, our way of thinking is similar and for me, what I think is even God made us such that India and Maldives are even geographically situated so close to each other. When we are unwell, we go to India for treatment. If they want to have a holiday, you know, recently there was school holidays, I think most of my friends are going to India and I studied in India when I was younger. Many in Maldives have studied in India, so the friendship, the closeness that we have had, I don't know why, you know, Maldives have always been hospitable to foreigners and our tourism industry is totally based on the hospitality that we offer to the guests that we come. You would notice that there are many resorts in other places like the Caribbean and all that also, but the hospitality, the friendliness, the Maldives and resort workers offers, the butlers whoever is there offers to your people, it is totally unique because that is there in us that we honour our friends and those who visit us. We are grateful people, you know, whenever we need something, you know, India has come to our rescue and for that, people of Maldives are very grateful. It is sad to see, you know, something like this happening and for us to have to talk about this is also a very sad situation. WION: Ma'am, you were the Defence Minister and we have seen increased defence engagement as well if you can talk about the capacity building which have taken place when it comes to the defence aspect and the role the Indian assets have done in terms of evacuation because you have seen all of it. Mariya Didi: Yes, you know, whenever anyone is here, you know, Indian helicopters go and lift them to Malay where they can be attended to. The Indian Donya has helped us a lot, search and rescue everything and recently there was a boy, you know who got lost and I don't know for whatever reason, we didn't see the Donya which is equipped with special equipment for search and rescue. It wasn't used, you know, a small sesma went up and we haven't found the boy's still, so it's really sad that the ordinary Maldivian, you know, that family, they would be, I'm sure thinking, you know, that if they had the special equipment, you know, deployed at the place that we did during our time, most probably, you know, we would have found the boy but because of whatever, you know, they have said during the campaign and things, you know, they shouldn't really risk life of ordinary Maldivians just because they have said something, you know, they come to take care of us and as a government, they should be responsible and they should use whatever they can to save the lives of ordinary Maldivians. As for capacity building, we did a lot, you know, we got Hooravi, a new Hooravi, there was a replacement, you know, for Hooravi, the Indian ship, there was Khamiya, the new ship that we got, you know, so assets-wise also, the Donya came in, we are building the repair facility in UTF and when the present administration was saying they were, when they came to government they were talking about thousands of troops on the ground here, Indian troops and they have found that there are only 89 people and everyone of them engaged in a humanitarian role. So whatever we have said in the past, we have not been, you know, there's no secrets going on between two countries, you know, we were, you all were helping us to build our capacity so that, you know, if the situation arises we could look after our houses at least till we get help from other friendly neighbours. WION: Ma'am, you started by saying that there was a boy who went missing and the Maldivian authorities did not allow usage of the Indian assets. Mariya Didi: So I don't know whether they allowed or not, we didn't see it being used, that's all I think. WION: Okay so the Indian assets weren't used and there was a boy who got....who was still missing because of the government. Ma'am so the current government has basically come on a plan which is strongly anti-India. We saw the anti-India movement as well and one of the basic plan has been the removal of the Indian troops while acknowledging the role of the Indian assets as well. How do you see this entire comments being made and essentially the relationship not moving because of what the current government has been saying. There's a committee also which has been formed as well. So how do you make off it....the so-called removal of Indian troops demand by the current government? Mariya Didi: The thing is, you know, you saw how many Maldivian lives were saved during the time. You know, when they were being used, they were being used totally for in a human carrying capacity. Whenever the Indian helicopters were like, you know, they were being replaced with spares were coming and all that. We have always, you know, been asking them, you know, when are they coming and all that and especially the ordinary Maldivian here in the island, you know, they always like, you know, they felt very secure that if supposing there was the need they could be airlifted. Do you see perhaps, you know, in the past when helicopters were engaged in the world, it's a new, you know, those diving accidents and all these things, they can only be lifted in a helicopter, you know, like it can't go above a certain height. So helicopters have been used, but in the past when private parties have used helicopters in the world, it has been very dangerous. You know, many times we have had helicopter incidents, but in sure along with the Indian helicopters, because they use the most modern equipment and their personnel are very trained, very expert. I have seen, you know, in the land, in places where people have never been before they land, they do many evacuations which on the normal circumstances ordinary civilian pilots cannot do because that's because as a Defence Minister they have shown me and I have seen it. You know, a friend of mine who was, who is in Lamu, and he was telling me....the people the other day they were saying, you know...there's so many tests that are done before the helicopter takes off, and so many tests that are done when it comes off, you know, comes down. So 20 people to look after this, you know, to make sure Maldivians are safe when they apply the helicopters, it's normal, you know, but people are saying, what do you need...that makes people for a helicopter maintenance. Yes, we do, whether it's one or two, there's a bare minimum that is needed, you know, and then we are getting it free, but to waste Maldivian taxpayers' money for something that the friends are offering free. I mean, I totally don't get it, but if that be the will of the Maldivians always, you know, in the government also said, you know, they will honour it. It was the government's request that these have always been provided to us. WION: I'm moving the projector to the broader aspect of the relationship. Now tourism is something that has been a key pillar of this relationship. Do you see that because of these comments by now ex-ministers of the Maldivian government, there will be a lasting damage to your tourism industry? Mariya Didi: I hope not, you know, last year the most tourist arrival numbers were from India. We have always seen that there is an affluent society in the neighbours. They always prefer to come to their neighbors because it's shorter, it's easier to get there. There are so many flights from India to Maldivians, but we have to understand that we are unique in some ways, but nothing is irreplaceable in this world. You know, so we have to really think we have to guard our tourism industry. We have to promote it. We have to present ourselves as people who are welcoming. If we want tourists to come here, not...you know, show antagonism and make disparaging remarks about their elected leaders and others, you know, and we have to be sensitive to the thoughts and the feelings of others as well. So far what I have seen is that we have been irresponsible in that sense and we would to some extent suffer the damages because I saw on social media, once the tourists who had come, she made a remark about Maldives and the way, you know Maldavian social media reacted, you know, she had to make her Twitter (X) account private because it was too much. What we have to understand is that even others would have the love for it. We have to learn to live in a globalized world, you know, just because this government has come on a national agent, the same Maldives is for Maldavian or whatever, you know, that means we didn't get our attention. It doesn't necessarily mean that we can, you know, survive without our tourists coming to Maldives and, you know, us not being nice to them. So it's a sad day for all of us. It's a very sad day for all of us. I'm sure, you know, a lot of my Indian friends have been sending messages to me also saying that we complement each other, not compete with each other, you know, we respect each other. And I think we have to make a conscious effort with all our people, Maldivians as well, to tell them that, you know, relationships are mutual. If they want to go and get themselves attended for medical purposes and other purposes in India and want friends to come and help us in the medicines that they should respect, you know, the others as well. And try to, like, you know, treat them like how we would want to be treated as well when we go to another country or as relationship friends, neighbors, live as friends and neighbors, it's a sad day for the region as well, you know, because we have had so much defense cooperation, we have had exchange of information, we have been doing so much together. Most Maldivians in the defence sector are trained in India, so in many ways it's a sad day. WION: So essentially a politicisation you think is being done by the current government when it comes to this relationship, as you pointed out, just 89 Indian troops present. So do you see this politicization will come to an end? Mariya Didi: The thing is like, you know, they kept on seeing troops. We were always saying they are here on a humanitarian role. So they are not even troops as such, you know, they are technical people who are here to help other than ordinary Maldivians, you know, who cannot afford, you know, a helicopter or things to get basic services like, you know, when they are here than others. So I hope the government comes to its senses. I hope they start valuing friendships. I hope they start respecting neighbors. I hope President Mouis always take some sort of action against the ministers and hold them accountable so that other ministers also realize, you know, that this is not how ministers should behave. It is sad that one of them, the gentleman there, he was a member of the armed forces and he had made remarks on social media that was not in line with the armed forces policy on social media, which was why he was dismissed from the armed forces. But because he says something that they want to hear, you know, he was brought in as a minister. The sad thing is, you know, it's the same thing happens in the defense forces today. How are they going to maintain discipline there? This is something that always makes me that sad. Once you do something, then there was no politicization or anything of why he was dismissed. That would be, that is for all of our motives, you know, but then for him to come in as a minister, because he was not made to take responsibility for his actions before, because the present government ignored it. Today, a young person who is qualified is now having to really suffer the consequences. WION: Well, thank you so much, ma'am, for speaking to me. It's a pleasure to speak to you and get an overview of how the people and politicians think about this very important relationship. Thank you so much, ma'am. Mariya Didi: Thank you, Sidhant. Lovely to talk to you and hopefully this will get resolved soon.

Exclusive: Ex-defence minister Mariya Didi speaks about Indian troops in Maldives, current situation

The government of Maldives has suspended three deputy ministers on January 7. These ministers made derogatory remarks against India’s PM Narendra Modi on social media.

All you need to know about the 3 Maldives Ministers suspended for derogatory remarks against PM Modi

<p>International Emmy award-winning comedian Vir Das has commented on Indian celebrities promoting tourism in Lakshadweep Islands. Das' comments come amid tensions between India and the Maldives following a tweet by a Maldives minister slamming the picturesque islands of Lakshadweep as also disparagingly targeting PM Narendra Modi.&nbsp;<br />
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Several Bollywood celebrities including Akshay Kumar, John Abraham, Sara Ali Khan have since then expressed their support for the archipelago and encouraged Indians to explore its beauty.&nbsp;<br />
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Das, on the other hand, took a sly dig at the celebrities and their obsession to vacation in Maldives which may go kaput amid tensions between the two nations at the moment.&nbsp;<br />
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Das took to X to talk about Indian influencers and celebs, who had worked for weeks on their Maldives vacation pictures but were now scared to share them on social media.<br />
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He tweeted on Monday, "Firstly, happy Lakshadweep is getting some love! Secondly, somewhere in the Maldives, right now, is an Indian celebrity/ influencer, who didn’t eat carbs for two weeks, took the best vacation photos ever, and is TERRIFIED to post them."</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Firstly, happy Lakshadweep is getting some love! Secondly, Somewhere in the Maldives, right now, is an Indian celebrity/influencer, who didn’t eat carbs for two weeks, took the best vacation photos ever, and is TERRIFIED to post them :-)</p>
— Vir Das (@thevirdas) <a href="https://twitter.com/thevirdas/status/1744195446984028296?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2024</a></blockquote>
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<p>Das then took a jab at the celebrities who had posted similar texts about Lakshadweep to appease the authorities. "Next actor to post a honeymoon photo from Madh Island is getting a National Award. Pakka."</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Next actor to post a honeymoon photo from Madh Island is getting a National Award. Pakka.</p>
— Vir Das (@thevirdas) <a href="https://twitter.com/thevirdas/status/1744277480695816662?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2024</a></blockquote>
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<p>Reacting to Vir's tweet, an X user suggested, "They can just post it saying it's Lakshadweep/ Looks almost the same; will get much more engagement right now."<br />
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Another said, "Few are deleting the past ones too." One more tweeted, “One (Indian influencer/celeb) already put pics last week and now lecturing others to stay away.”<br />
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Sara Ali Khan, Jahnvi Kapoor, Urvashi Rautela, John Abraham,&nbsp;Shraddha Kapoor and many other Bollywood actors posted photos of Lakshadweep amid Maldives boycott calls. The celebs joined the trend of promoting Indian tourism after prominent personalities from the Maldives mocked India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. PM Modi had recently shared pictures of his trip to Lakshadweep Islands.</p>


International Emmy award-winning comedian Vir Das has commented on Indian celebrities promoting tourism in Lakshadweep Islands. Das' comments come amid tensions between India and the Maldives following a tweet by a Maldives minister slamming the picturesque islands of Lakshadweep as also disparagingly targeting PM Narendra Modi.

International Emmy award-winning comedian Vir Das has commented on Indian celebrities promoting tourism in Lakshadweep Islands. Das' comments come amid tensions between India and the Maldives following a tweet by a Maldives minister slamming the picturesque islands of Lakshadweep as also disparagingly targeting PM Narendra Modi. Several Bollywood celebrities including Akshay Kumar, John Abraham, Sara Ali Khan have since then expressed their support for the archipelago and encouraged Indians to explore its beauty. Das, on the other hand, took a sly dig at the celebrities and their obsession to vacation in Maldives which may go kaput amid tensions between the two nations at the moment. Das took to X to talk about Indian influencers and celebs, who had worked for weeks on their Maldives vacation pictures but were now scared to share them on social media. He tweeted on Monday, "Firstly, happy Lakshadweep is getting some love! Secondly, somewhere in the Maldives, right now, is an Indian celebrity/ influencer, who didn’t eat carbs for two weeks, took the best vacation photos ever, and is TERRIFIED to post them." Firstly, happy Lakshadweep is getting some love! Secondly, Somewhere in the Maldives, right now, is an Indian celebrity/influencer, who didn’t eat carbs for two weeks, took the best vacation photos ever, and is TERRIFIED to post them :-) — Vir Das (@thevirdas) January 8, 2024 × Das then took a jab at the celebrities who had posted similar texts about Lakshadweep to appease the authorities. "Next actor to post a honeymoon photo from Madh Island is getting a National Award. Pakka." Next actor to post a honeymoon photo from Madh Island is getting a National Award. Pakka. — Vir Das (@thevirdas) January 8, 2024 × Reacting to Vir's tweet, an X user suggested, "They can just post it saying it's Lakshadweep/ Looks almost the same; will get much more engagement right now." Another said, "Few are deleting the past ones too." One more tweeted, “One (Indian influencer/celeb) already put pics last week and now lecturing others to stay away.” Sara Ali Khan, Jahnvi Kapoor, Urvashi Rautela, John Abraham, Shraddha Kapoor and many other Bollywood actors posted photos of Lakshadweep amid Maldives boycott calls. The celebs joined the trend of promoting Indian tourism after prominent personalities from the Maldives mocked India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. PM Modi had recently shared pictures of his trip to Lakshadweep Islands.

Vir Das takes a dig at celebrities promoting Lakshadweep amid India-Maldives row

<p>Amid the online campaign of boycott Maldives, flight and trip booking company EaseMyTrip in a significant step decided to suspend all Maldives flight bookings after derogatory remarks were made by some of Maldives' now suspended ministers against India following the recent visit to Lakshadweep by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.</p>

<p>Indian online travel company EaseMyTrip's&nbsp;co-founder and chief executive officer (CEO) Nishant Pitti, standing in support of India, took to social media X and said, “In solidarity with our nation, @EaseMyTrip has suspended all Maldives flight bookings.”</p>

<p>The travel company, EaseMyTrip, went one step further and started a visit Lakshadweep campaign with the hashtag #ChaloLakshadweep.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">In solidarity with our nation, <a href="https://twitter.com/EaseMyTrip?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EaseMyTrip</a> has suspended all Maldives flight bookings ✈️ <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TravelUpdate?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TravelUpdate</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SupportingNation?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SupportingNation</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LakshadweepTourism?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LakshadweepTourism</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ExploreIndianlslands?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ExploreIndianlslands</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Lakshadweep?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Lakshadweep</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ExploreIndianIslands?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ExploreIndianIslands</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/kishanreddybjp?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@kishanreddybjp</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/JM_Scindia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JM_Scindia</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/PMOIndia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PMOIndia</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/tourismgoi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@tourismgoi</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@narendramodi</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/incredibleindia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@incredibleindia</a> <a href="https://t.co/wIyWGzyAZY">https://t.co/wIyWGzyAZY</a></p>
— Nishant Pitti (@nishantpitti) <a href="https://twitter.com/nishantpitti/status/1744080855100744082?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2024</a></blockquote>
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<p>EaseMyTrip, which has its headquarters in New Delhi, was founded by Rikant Pitti, Prashant Pitti and Nishant Pitti in 2008.</p>

<p>Speaking to ANI, Prashant Pitti said, "Our company has recently taken the decision to not accept bookings for Maldives. The reason for this is the row over Maldives MP's post on PM Modi's visit to Lakshadweep. We have taken this decision to establish 'nation first and business later'."</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/maldives-president-departs-for-china-amid-diplomatic-row-with-india-677741">Maldives president departs for China amid diplomatic row with India</a><br />
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Prashant Pitti, in his post dated January 4, wrote, "Water &amp; beaches of Lakshadweep are as good as Maldives/Seychelles We at @EaseMyTrip will come up with crazy special-offers to promote this pristine destination that our PM @narendramodi has recently visited!"</p>

<h2><strong>India-Maldives row and debate over tourism&nbsp;</strong></h2>

<p>Amid row over tourism between Maldives and India, hashtag #BoycottMaldives started trending on social media platforms as many tourists began cancelling their scheduled vacations to the island nation.</p>

<p>Meanwhile, three deputy ministers of Maldives were suspended by the government on Sunday (Jan 7) for posting derogatory comments on social media against India's Prime Minister Modi.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Watch:&nbsp;Maldives sacks 3 ministers for insulting comments on PM Modi&nbsp;</strong></p>

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<p>"The government of Maldives is aware of derogatory remarks on social media platforms against foreign leaders and high-ranking individuals. These opinions are personal and do not represent the views of the government of Maldives," stated the Maldives Foreign Ministry, while responding to the controversial social media posts.</p>

<p>Many prominent Indian personalities, including cricketer Hardik Pandya and actor Akshay Kumar, expressed dismay at the comments posted by the Maldivian officials. In an online campaign aimed at promoting local tourism, former cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, actor Salman Khan and others appealed to people to visit their own islands and not to travel abroad.</p>

<h2><strong>Indian </strong>Chamber of Commerce, other&nbsp;<strong>travel companies call for boycott of Maldives</strong></h2>

<p>Meanwhile, the Indian Chamber of Commerce on Monday (Jan 8), issued an “appeal to boycott Maldives”. Head of ICC’s aviation and tourism committee Subhash Goyal appealed to all Indian trade associations to “stop promoting Maldives in view of the anti-India feelings expressed by ministers of Maldives.”</p>

<p>“Please divert all such queries to Lakshadweep and Andaman &amp; Nicobar Islands which are even better than Maldives in many ways.. other destinations that can be promoted in the Indian Ocean region are Sri Lanka, Mauritius, Bali, Phuket etc,” he said. Goyal further “appealed” Indian carriers to suspend the flights towards Maldives and appealed Indian hotel companies to make more investment in Lakshadweep “for better returns.” Goyal’s STC Travels also stopped selling tickets and packages for Maldives.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


Amid the online campaign of boycott Maldives, flight and trip booking company EaseMyTrip in a significant step decided to suspend all Maldives flight bookings after derogatory remarks were made by some of Maldives' now suspended ministers against India following the recent visit to Lakshadweep by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Amid the online campaign of boycott Maldives, flight and trip booking company EaseMyTrip in a significant step decided to suspend all Maldives flight bookings after derogatory remarks were made by some of Maldives' now suspended ministers against India following the recent visit to Lakshadweep by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Indian online travel company EaseMyTrip's co-founder and chief executive officer (CEO) Nishant Pitti, standing in support of India, took to social media X and said, “In solidarity with our nation, @EaseMyTrip has suspended all Maldives flight bookings.” The travel company, EaseMyTrip, went one step further and started a visit Lakshadweep campaign with the hashtag #ChaloLakshadweep. In solidarity with our nation, @EaseMyTrip has suspended all Maldives flight bookings ✈️ #TravelUpdate #SupportingNation #LakshadweepTourism #ExploreIndianlslands #Lakshadweep#ExploreIndianIslands @kishanreddybjp @JM_Scindia @PMOIndia @tourismgoi @narendramodi @incredibleindia https://t.co/wIyWGzyAZY — Nishant Pitti (@nishantpitti) January 7, 2024 × EaseMyTrip, which has its headquarters in New Delhi, was founded by Rikant Pitti, Prashant Pitti and Nishant Pitti in 2008. Speaking to ANI, Prashant Pitti said, "Our company has recently taken the decision to not accept bookings for Maldives. The reason for this is the row over Maldives MP's post on PM Modi's visit to Lakshadweep. We have taken this decision to establish 'nation first and business later'." Also read: Maldives president departs for China amid diplomatic row with India Prashant Pitti, in his post dated January 4, wrote, "Water & beaches of Lakshadweep are as good as Maldives/Seychelles We at @EaseMyTrip will come up with crazy special-offers to promote this pristine destination that our PM @narendramodi has recently visited!" India-Maldives row and debate over tourism Amid row over tourism between Maldives and India, hashtag #BoycottMaldives started trending on social media platforms as many tourists began cancelling their scheduled vacations to the island nation. Meanwhile, three deputy ministers of Maldives were suspended by the government on Sunday (Jan 7) for posting derogatory comments on social media against India's Prime Minister Modi. Watch: Maldives sacks 3 ministers for insulting comments on PM Modi "The government of Maldives is aware of derogatory remarks on social media platforms against foreign leaders and high-ranking individuals. These opinions are personal and do not represent the views of the government of Maldives," stated the Maldives Foreign Ministry, while responding to the controversial social media posts. Many prominent Indian personalities, including cricketer Hardik Pandya and actor Akshay Kumar, expressed dismay at the comments posted by the Maldivian officials. In an online campaign aimed at promoting local tourism, former cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, actor Salman Khan and others appealed to people to visit their own islands and not to travel abroad. Indian Chamber of Commerce, other travel companies call for boycott of Maldives Meanwhile, the Indian Chamber of Commerce on Monday (Jan 8), issued an “appeal to boycott Maldives”. Head of ICC’s aviation and tourism committee Subhash Goyal appealed to all Indian trade associations to “stop promoting Maldives in view of the anti-India feelings expressed by ministers of Maldives.” “Please divert all such queries to Lakshadweep and Andaman & Nicobar Islands which are even better than Maldives in many ways.. other destinations that can be promoted in the Indian Ocean region are Sri Lanka, Mauritius, Bali, Phuket etc,” he said. Goyal further “appealed” Indian carriers to suspend the flights towards Maldives and appealed Indian hotel companies to make more investment in Lakshadweep “for better returns.” Goyal’s STC Travels also stopped selling tickets and packages for Maldives. (With inputs from agencies)

Indian travel companies call for boycott of Maldives after row over scornful remarks on PM Modi

Maldives High Commissioner Ibrahim Shaheeb summoned by Indian foreign ministry after 'derogatory' remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, according to the PTI news agency.

India summons Maldives envoy Ibrahim Shaheeb as diplomatic row escalates

<p>Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu departed for China along with First Lady Sajidha Mohamed on Sunday night (Jan 7) which marked the beginning of a state visit. He had received an invitation from Chinese President Xi Jinping. The official visit comes at a time when the country is engaged in a diplomatic row with its closest neighbour and a major source of tourism - India.&nbsp;</p>

<p>President Muizzu, who came to power with his 'Out India' campaign, suspended the government's three deputy ministers - Malsha Shareef, Mariyam Shiuna, and Abdulla Mahzoon Maajid, after they posted derogatory comments on social media platform X in reaction to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealing the world to visit Lakshadweep islands, which is the archipelago for tourism.</p>

<p>The prime minister's visit was seen by some as an effort to attract tourism to the island but some also viewed it as a step to take away tourists from the globally popular Maldives, whose 1,192 islands in the Indian Ocean are filled with luxury resorts.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:</strong>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/maldives-govt-suspends-ministers-who-made-racist-remarks-against-indians-to-target-pm-modis-lakshadweep-visit-677475">Maldives govt suspends three ministers over derogatory remarks on PM Modi</a></p>

<p>"The government of Maldives is aware of derogatory remarks on social media platforms against foreign leaders and high-ranking individuals. These opinions are personal and do not represent the views of the government of Maldives," stated the Maldives Foreign Ministry, while responding to the controversial social media posts.</p>

<h2><strong>Indian celebrities call for local tourism</strong></h2>

<p>Many prominent Indian personalities, including cricketer Hardik Pandya and actor Akshay Kumar, expressed dismay at the comments posted by the Maldivian officials. In an online campaign aimed at promoting local tourism, former cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, actor Salman Khan and others appealed to people to visit their own islands and not to travel abroad.</p>

<p>#ExploreIndianIslands became the second largest trending hashtag on social media platform X in India and some users also started sharing screenshots of cancelled bookings of Maldivian holidays.</p>

<p><strong>Watch:&nbsp;Maldives sacks 3 ministers for insulting comments on PM Modi | India-Maldives derogatory comment row</strong></p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/maldives-sacks-3-ministers-for-insulting-comments-on-pm-modi-india-maldives-derogatory-comment-row-677615/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>India, which is a crucial ally of Maldives, has been contributing significantly to the country's economy through tourism as the Indians form the biggest group of tourists who visit the island nation. However, the relations between the two countries have strained since Muizzu came to power in November. The president had been seen as pro-Chinese, and in his election campaign had vowed to remove a small contingent of Indian military personnel which is stationed in the Maldives.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu departed for China along with First Lady Sajidha Mohamed on Sunday night (Jan 7) which marked the beginning of a state visit. He had received an invitation from Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu departed for China along with First Lady Sajidha Mohamed on Sunday night (Jan 7) which marked the beginning of a state visit. He had received an invitation from Chinese President Xi Jinping. The official visit comes at a time when the country is engaged in a diplomatic row with its closest neighbour and a major source of tourism - India. President Muizzu, who came to power with his 'Out India' campaign, suspended the government's three deputy ministers - Malsha Shareef, Mariyam Shiuna, and Abdulla Mahzoon Maajid, after they posted derogatory comments on social media platform X in reaction to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealing the world to visit Lakshadweep islands, which is the archipelago for tourism. The prime minister's visit was seen by some as an effort to attract tourism to the island but some also viewed it as a step to take away tourists from the globally popular Maldives, whose 1,192 islands in the Indian Ocean are filled with luxury resorts. Also read: Maldives govt suspends three ministers over derogatory remarks on PM Modi "The government of Maldives is aware of derogatory remarks on social media platforms against foreign leaders and high-ranking individuals. These opinions are personal and do not represent the views of the government of Maldives," stated the Maldives Foreign Ministry, while responding to the controversial social media posts. Indian celebrities call for local tourism Many prominent Indian personalities, including cricketer Hardik Pandya and actor Akshay Kumar, expressed dismay at the comments posted by the Maldivian officials. In an online campaign aimed at promoting local tourism, former cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, actor Salman Khan and others appealed to people to visit their own islands and not to travel abroad. #ExploreIndianIslands became the second largest trending hashtag on social media platform X in India and some users also started sharing screenshots of cancelled bookings of Maldivian holidays. Watch: Maldives sacks 3 ministers for insulting comments on PM Modi | India-Maldives derogatory comment row India, which is a crucial ally of Maldives, has been contributing significantly to the country's economy through tourism as the Indians form the biggest group of tourists who visit the island nation. However, the relations between the two countries have strained since Muizzu came to power in November. The president had been seen as pro-Chinese, and in his election campaign had vowed to remove a small contingent of Indian military personnel which is stationed in the Maldives. (With inputs from agencies)

Maldives president departs for China amid diplomatic row with India

<p>After three Maldivian ministers made derogatory remarks against PM Modi, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs on Monday (Jan 8) summoned Maldives High Commissioner Ibrahim Shaheeb.</p>

<p>Shaheeb arrived at the ministry in Delhi's South Block early in the morning and could be seen leaving the building a few minutes later.</p>

<p>The high-ranking&nbsp;official was summoned a day after the Indian government raised concerns over the derogatory comments made by the Maldivian ministers against PM Modi.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>What&nbsp;is the controversy?</strong></h2>

<p>Ever since&nbsp;PM Modi&nbsp;visited Lakshadweep - an archipelago consisting of 36 islands located in the Arabian Sea, there has been an online discourse about whether the picturesque region&nbsp;could be the next Maldives.</p>

<p>However, the discourse did not go down well with certain Maldivian government officials as well as social media users who started foul-mouthing PM Modi as well as India.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Mariyam Shiuna, the deputy minister of youth empowerment, information and arts referred to PM Modi as a 'clown' and a 'puppet of Israel' and posted images from his visit to the archipelago.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“What a clown. The puppet of Israel Mr Narendra diver with a life jacket #VisitMaldives,” Shiuna posted on X.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/india-raises-concerns-over-derogatory-comments-by-maldives-minister-against-pm-modi-677434"><strong>Also read | Exclusive: India raises concerns over derogatory comments by Maldives minister against PM Modi</strong></a></p>

<p>Zahid Rameez, a Council member of the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) also targeted India by posting: “The move is great. However, the idea of competing with us is delusional. How can they provide the service we offer? How can they be so clean? The permanent smell in the rooms will be the biggest downfall.”</p>

<p>Some other Maldivian leaders&nbsp;followed the trend and posted similar racist tirades masquerading as digs at India.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-could-lakshadweep-replace-maldives-as-tourist-haven-677005" target="_blank"><strong>Watch | Gravitas | Could Lakshadweep replace Maldives as tourist haven?</strong></a></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" data-gtm-yt-inspected-7="true" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="lazy" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-could-lakshadweep-replace-maldives-as-tourist-haven-677005/embed?autoplay=0" title="live tv" width="100%"></iframe></p>

<h2><strong>Ministers suspended</strong></h2>

<p>After the Indian side raised concerns, the Maldivian government on Sunday (Jan 7) suspended Shiuna, Malsha Shareef and Hassan Zihan over their derogatory comments.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In an official statement, the Maldives foreign ministry clarified that these opinions were personal and did not reflect the nation's stance.</p>

<p>"The Government of Maldives is aware of derogatory remarks on social media platforms against foreign leaders and high-ranking individuals. These opinions are personal and do not represent the views of the Government of Maldives," read the statement.</p>

<p>Maldives&nbsp;relies heavily on Indian tourists to keep its industry buoyant.&nbsp;According to a data, at the end of December 2023, as many as 209,198 Indian tourists arrived in Maldives for recreational purposes, making it the biggest demography to visit the island nation. Hence, irking New Delhi may have serious ramifications for Maldives.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


After three Maldivian ministers made derogatory remarks against PM Modi, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs on Monday (Jan 8) summoned Maldives High Commissioner Ibrahim Shaheeb.

After three Maldivian ministers made derogatory remarks against PM Modi, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs on Monday (Jan 8) summoned Maldives High Commissioner Ibrahim Shaheeb. Shaheeb arrived at the ministry in Delhi's South Block early in the morning and could be seen leaving the building a few minutes later. The high-ranking official was summoned a day after the Indian government raised concerns over the derogatory comments made by the Maldivian ministers against PM Modi. What is the controversy? Ever since PM Modi visited Lakshadweep - an archipelago consisting of 36 islands located in the Arabian Sea, there has been an online discourse about whether the picturesque region could be the next Maldives. However, the discourse did not go down well with certain Maldivian government officials as well as social media users who started foul-mouthing PM Modi as well as India. Mariyam Shiuna, the deputy minister of youth empowerment, information and arts referred to PM Modi as a 'clown' and a 'puppet of Israel' and posted images from his visit to the archipelago. “What a clown. The puppet of Israel Mr Narendra diver with a life jacket #VisitMaldives,” Shiuna posted on X. Also read | Exclusive: India raises concerns over derogatory comments by Maldives minister against PM Modi Zahid Rameez, a Council member of the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) also targeted India by posting: “The move is great. However, the idea of competing with us is delusional. How can they provide the service we offer? How can they be so clean? The permanent smell in the rooms will be the biggest downfall.” Some other Maldivian leaders followed the trend and posted similar racist tirades masquerading as digs at India. Watch | Gravitas | Could Lakshadweep replace Maldives as tourist haven? Ministers suspended After the Indian side raised concerns, the Maldivian government on Sunday (Jan 7) suspended Shiuna, Malsha Shareef and Hassan Zihan over their derogatory comments. In an official statement, the Maldives foreign ministry clarified that these opinions were personal and did not reflect the nation's stance. "The Government of Maldives is aware of derogatory remarks on social media platforms against foreign leaders and high-ranking individuals. These opinions are personal and do not represent the views of the Government of Maldives," read the statement. Maldives relies heavily on Indian tourists to keep its industry buoyant. According to a data, at the end of December 2023, as many as 209,198 Indian tourists arrived in Maldives for recreational purposes, making it the biggest demography to visit the island nation. Hence, irking New Delhi may have serious ramifications for Maldives. (With inputs from agencies)

India summons Maldives high commissioner over derogatory remarks against PM Modi

The Maldives government has suspended three deputy ministers - Mariyam Shiuna, Malsha Shareef and Hassan Zihan - over their derogatory remarks made about Indian PM Narendra Modi.

Their comments were very racist: Ahmed Adeeb, Former Maldives VP

<p>In the latest, the Maldives government has taken action by suspending three deputy ministers, namely Mariyam Shiuna, Malsha Shareef, and Hassan Zihan, from their positions due to disrespectful comments they made about Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In the South Asian realm, Bangladesh's general&nbsp;election&nbsp;takes centre stage. The results are expected by Monday (Jan 8). In other news, two reporters lost their lives in an Israeli airstrike in the war-ridden area as tensions between Israel and Hamas intensify.</p>

<p><strong>Click on the headlines to read more.</strong></p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/maldives-govt-suspends-ministers-who-made-racist-remarks-against-indians-to-target-pm-modis-lakshadweep-visit-677475">Maldives govt suspends three ministers over derogatory remarks on PM Modi</a></p>

<p><img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2024/01/07/404220-the-battle-for-kyiv-2024-01-07t180816072.png?imwidth=1920" /></p>

<p>The Maldives government has suspended three deputy ministers -&nbsp;Mariyam Shiuna, Malsha&nbsp;Shareef and Hassan Zihan - over their derogatory remarks made about Indian PM Narendra Modi.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bangladesh-elections-2024-live-polling-begins-as-pm-sheikh-hasina-eyes-another-term-677303">Bangladesh election 2024 LIVE: Awami League candidate takes lead in Magura-1 seat</a></p>

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<p>Voting has ended in Bangladesh and counting of votes has started. Results are expected to be out by Monday. Click on the headline to get all live updates on the elections.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/israel-hamas-war-health-ministry-in-gaza-says-two-journalists-killed-in-israeli-strike-677460">Israel-Hamas war: Health ministry in Gaza says two journalists killed in Israeli strike</a></p>

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<p>The health ministry in the Gaza Strip said on Sunday (Jan 7) that two journalists were killed in an Israeli air strike in the war-torn region as the conflict between Israel and Hamas continues. According to the health ministry and medics, Mustafa Thuria, a video stringer for AFP news agency, and Hamza Wael Dahdouh, a journalist with Al Jazeera television network, were killed while they were travelling in a car.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-conducts-live-fire-drills-near-maritime-border-on-third-consecutive-day-677499">North Korea conducts live-fire drills near maritime border on third consecutive day</a></p>

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<p>North Korea on Sunday (Jan 7) conducted live-fire exercises on its western coast, Seoul's military said in a statement.</p>

<p>This was the third consecutive day of military drills conducted by Pyongyang near its disputed maritime border with the South.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/putin-vows-to-support-soldiers-fighting-in-ukraine-while-wives-of-those-mobilised-protest-near-kremlin-677414">Putin vows to support soldiers fighting in Ukraine while wives mobilise protest near Kremlin</a></p>

<p><img alt="main img" src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2024/01/07/404172-wion-images-2024-01-07t130050655.png?imwidth=3840" /></p>

<p>During an address on the eve of Orthodox Christmas, on Saturday (Jan 6) Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed to support soldiers "fighting to defend Moscow’s interests". Meanwhile, wives of Russians mobilised to fight in Ukraine symbolically laid flowers at the flame of an unknown soldier near the Kremlin and demanded the return of their husbands from the front.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bangladesh-fire-tragedy-in-rohingya-refugee-camp-leaves-thousands-without-shelter-677419">Bangladesh: Fire tragedy at Rohingya refugee camp leaves thousands without shelter</a></p>

<p><img alt="main img" src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2024/01/07/404175-untitled-design-2024-01-07t131440981.png?imwidth=3840" /></p>

<p>A fire erupted in parts of a densely populated Rohingya refugee camp in south-eastern Bangladesh, leaving over 4,000&nbsp;people without shelter, according to officials.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bangladesh-prime-minister-sheikh-hasina-hails-india-as-trusted-friend-677534">Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina hails India as 'trusted friend'</a></p>

<p><img alt="main img" src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2024/01/07/404250-succession-2024-01-07t202641207.jpg?imwidth=3840" /></p>

<p>Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in her message to neighbouring India on the day of polling, hailed New Delhi as a "trusted friend".</p>

<p>''We are very lucky...India is our trusted friend. During our Liberation War, they supported us...After 1975, when we lost our whole family...they gave us shelter. So our best wishes to the people of India," she said.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/kim-jong-uns-sister-claims-s-korea-misjudged-sound-of-explosives-as-artillery-fire-677432">Kim Jong Un’s sister claims S Korea 'misjudged' sound of explosives as artillery fire</a></p>

<p><img alt="main img" src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2023/07/11/366061-kim-yo-jong.png?imwidth=3840" /></p>

<p>Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has denied claims made by South Korea that&nbsp;Pyongyang fired dozens of artillery rounds near their border on Saturday (Jan 6).&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/delhis-smog-tower-loses-breath-as-workers-remain-unpaid-by-kejriwal-govt-677513">Delhi’s smog tower ‘loses breath’ as workers remain unpaid by Kejriwal govt</a></p>

<p><img alt="main img" src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2024/01/07/404237-smog-1.jpg?imwidth=3840" /></p>

<p>The smog tower installed in Delhi’s Connaught Place has been locked up by the workers in protest to non-payment of their salaries, as per several media reports. The development comes even as the national capital reels under ‘very poor’ air quality amidst freezing cold and dense fog.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/watch-indian-air-forces-c-130j-conducts-historic-night-landing-at-kargil-airstrip-677402">Watch | Indian Air Force's C-130J conducts historic night landing at Kargil airstrip</a></p>

<p><img alt="main img" src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2024/01/07/404168-untitled-design-12.png?imwidth=3840" /></p>

<p>In a major boost to the operational setup of the Indian Air Force (IAF), the C-130J aircraft recently landed at the challenging Kargil airstrip at night for the first time.</p>


In the latest, the Maldives government has taken action by suspending three deputy ministers, namely Mariyam Shiuna, Malsha Shareef, and Hassan Zihan, from their positions due to disrespectful comments they made about Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In the latest, the Maldives government has taken action by suspending three deputy ministers, namely Mariyam Shiuna, Malsha Shareef, and Hassan Zihan, from their positions due to disrespectful comments they made about Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In the South Asian realm, Bangladesh's general election takes centre stage. The results are expected by Monday (Jan 8). In other news, two reporters lost their lives in an Israeli airstrike in the war-ridden area as tensions between Israel and Hamas intensify. Click on the headlines to read more. Maldives govt suspends three ministers over derogatory remarks on PM Modi The Maldives government has suspended three deputy ministers - Mariyam Shiuna, Malsha Shareef and Hassan Zihan - over their derogatory remarks made about Indian PM Narendra Modi. Bangladesh election 2024 LIVE: Awami League candidate takes lead in Magura-1 seat Voting has ended in Bangladesh and counting of votes has started. Results are expected to be out by Monday. Click on the headline to get all live updates on the elections. Israel-Hamas war: Health ministry in Gaza says two journalists killed in Israeli strike The health ministry in the Gaza Strip said on Sunday (Jan 7) that two journalists were killed in an Israeli air strike in the war-torn region as the conflict between Israel and Hamas continues. According to the health ministry and medics, Mustafa Thuria, a video stringer for AFP news agency, and Hamza Wael Dahdouh, a journalist with Al Jazeera television network, were killed while they were travelling in a car. North Korea conducts live-fire drills near maritime border on third consecutive day North Korea on Sunday (Jan 7) conducted live-fire exercises on its western coast, Seoul's military said in a statement. This was the third consecutive day of military drills conducted by Pyongyang near its disputed maritime border with the South. Putin vows to support soldiers fighting in Ukraine while wives mobilise protest near Kremlin During an address on the eve of Orthodox Christmas, on Saturday (Jan 6) Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed to support soldiers "fighting to defend Moscow’s interests". Meanwhile, wives of Russians mobilised to fight in Ukraine symbolically laid flowers at the flame of an unknown soldier near the Kremlin and demanded the return of their husbands from the front. Bangladesh: Fire tragedy at Rohingya refugee camp leaves thousands without shelter A fire erupted in parts of a densely populated Rohingya refugee camp in south-eastern Bangladesh, leaving over 4,000 people without shelter, according to officials. Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina hails India as 'trusted friend' Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in her message to neighbouring India on the day of polling, hailed New Delhi as a "trusted friend". ''We are very lucky...India is our trusted friend. During our Liberation War, they supported us...After 1975, when we lost our whole family...they gave us shelter. So our best wishes to the people of India," she said. Kim Jong Un’s sister claims S Korea 'misjudged' sound of explosives as artillery fire Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has denied claims made by South Korea that Pyongyang fired dozens of artillery rounds near their border on Saturday (Jan 6). Delhi’s smog tower ‘loses breath’ as workers remain unpaid by Kejriwal govt The smog tower installed in Delhi’s Connaught Place has been locked up by the workers in protest to non-payment of their salaries, as per several media reports. The development comes even as the national capital reels under ‘very poor’ air quality amidst freezing cold and dense fog. Watch | Indian Air Force's C-130J conducts historic night landing at Kargil airstrip In a major boost to the operational setup of the Indian Air Force (IAF), the C-130J aircraft recently landed at the challenging Kargil airstrip at night for the first time.

Top 10 world news: Maldives suspends 3 ministers for remarks on PM Modi, Bangladesh elections, and more

<p>Amid the raging controversy over the derogatory remarks by Maldivian politicians against Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his visit to the Lakshadweep island, many Indian celebrities have spoken out, condemning the shameful comments by the minister as they urged millions of Indians to explore Indian Islands.<br />
<br />
While the controversy is raging all over, on Sunday, celebrities like Akshay Kumar, Salman Khan, Kangana Ranaut, John Abraham and cricketer Sachin Tendulkar shared support with #ExploreIndianIslands as they praised the mystic beauty of Lakshadweep.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar, who never shies away from putting forward his view, took to X to condemn the derogatory comments from prominent public figures of Maldives.<br />
<br />
"Came across comments from prominent public figures from Maldives passing hateful and racist comments on Indians. Surprised that they are doing this to a country that sends them the maximum number of tourists. We are good to our neighbors but why should we tolerate such unprovoked hate? I've visited the Maldives many times and always praised it, but dignity first. Let us decide to #ExploreIndianIslands and support our own tourism," Kumar posted on X.&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Came across comments from prominent public figures from Maldives passing hateful and racist comments on Indians. Surprised that they are doing this to a country that sends them the maximum number of tourists.<br />
We are good to our neighbors but<br />
why should we tolerate such… <a href="https://t.co/DXRqkQFguN">pic.twitter.com/DXRqkQFguN</a></p>
— Akshay Kumar (@akshaykumar) <a href="https://twitter.com/akshaykumar/status/1743910499274924419?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2024</a></blockquote>
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<p>Akshay rang the New Year with his entire family in the Maldives.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Praising the beauty of Lakshadweep, actor Salman Khan wrote, "It is so cool to see our Hon PM Narendrabhai Modi at the beautiful clean n stunning beaches of Lakshadweep, and the best part is that yeh hamare India mein hain."&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Came across comments from prominent public figures from Maldives passing hateful and racist comments on Indians. Surprised that they are doing this to a country that sends them the maximum number of tourists.<br />
We are good to our neighbors but<br />
why should we tolerate such… <a href="https://t.co/DXRqkQFguN">pic.twitter.com/DXRqkQFguN</a></p>
— Akshay Kumar (@akshaykumar) <a href="https://twitter.com/akshaykumar/status/1743910499274924419?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2024</a></blockquote>
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<p>Actress Shraddha Kapoor praised the pristine beaches of the Lakshadweep.&nbsp; "All these images and memes making me super FOMO now. Lakshadweep has such pristine beaches and coastlines, thriving local culture, I'm on the verge of booking an impulse chhutti&nbsp;This year, why not #ExploreIndianIslands," she wrote on X.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">All these images and memes making me super FOMO now 😍<br />
Lakshadweep has such pristine beaches and coastlines, thriving local culture, I’m on the verge of booking an impulse chhutti ❤️<br />
This year, why not <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ExploreIndianIslands?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ExploreIndianIslands</a> <a href="https://t.co/fTWmZTycpO">pic.twitter.com/fTWmZTycpO</a></p>
— Shraddha (@ShraddhaKapoor) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShraddhaKapoor/status/1743881298522083626?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2024</a></blockquote>
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<p>Check all the posts here:</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Smell?? Permanent smell?? What!!! Suffering from massive Muslim phobia, even though belonging to the same community. Lakshadweep consists of 98 percent of Muslim population, this prominent public figure from Maldives calling them smelly and lowly is rather racist and uninformed.… <a href="https://t.co/hLbQvD5RYD">pic.twitter.com/hLbQvD5RYD</a></p>
— Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam) <a href="https://twitter.com/KanganaTeam/status/1743923026515964229?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2024</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">With the amazing Indian hospitality, the idea of “Atithi Devo Bhava” and a vast marine life to explore. Lakshwadeep is the place to go.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/exploreindianislands?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#exploreindianislands</a> <a href="https://t.co/CA1d9r0QZ5">pic.twitter.com/CA1d9r0QZ5</a></p>
— John Abraham (@TheJohnAbraham) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheJohnAbraham/status/1743894445177868758?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2024</a></blockquote>
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<p>The rift started after Maldivian Minister Mariyam Shiuna made disparaging remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to&nbsp;Lakshwadeep.<br />
<br />
Shiuna, who is the Deputy Minister of Youth Empowerment in the Maldives, called PM Modi 'clown' and 'puppet of Israel' on X. However, her post was quickly taken down from the site.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Reacting to the derogatory remarks, the Maldives government distanced itself from the controversy, saying,&nbsp;''These opinions are personal and do not represent the views of the Government of Maldives.''<br />
<br />
In a statement, the Government of Maldives said that it is aware of the derogatory remarks made by the minister on social media platforms. "These opinions are personal and do not represent the views of the Government of Maldives. The Government believes that the freedom of expression should be exercised in a democratic and responsible manner, and in ways that do not spread hatred, negativity, and hinder close relationships between the Maldives and its international partners," the statement said.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Maldives National Party condemns racist and derogatory comments made by a government official against a foreign head of State. This is unacceptable. We urge the government to take necessary action against those involved.</p>
— Maldives National Party (@MNP_Secretariat) <a href="https://twitter.com/MNP_Secretariat/status/1743866346872676411?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2024</a></blockquote>
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<p>On Sunday evening, all the three ministers,&nbsp;Shiuna, Malsha and Hassan Zihan&nbsp;were <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/maldives-govt-suspends-ministers-who-made-racist-remarks-against-indians-to-target-pm-modis-lakshadweep-visit-677475">suspended</a> by the government over derogatory remarks made about Indian PM Modi.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In an official statement, Maldives government spokesperson Ibrahim Khaleel said, "All government officials responsible for the comments have been suspended from their posts, effective immediately."</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


Amid the raging controversy over the derogatory remarks by Maldivian politicians against Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his visit to the Lakshadweep island, many Indian celebrities have spoken out, condemning the shameful comments by the minister as they urged millions of Indians to explore Indian Islands.

Amid the raging controversy over the derogatory remarks by Maldivian politicians against Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his visit to the Lakshadweep island, many Indian celebrities have spoken out, condemning the shameful comments by the minister as they urged millions of Indians to explore Indian Islands. While the controversy is raging all over, on Sunday, celebrities like Akshay Kumar, Salman Khan, Kangana Ranaut, John Abraham and cricketer Sachin Tendulkar shared support with #ExploreIndianIslands as they praised the mystic beauty of Lakshadweep. Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar, who never shies away from putting forward his view, took to X to condemn the derogatory comments from prominent public figures of Maldives. "Came across comments from prominent public figures from Maldives passing hateful and racist comments on Indians. Surprised that they are doing this to a country that sends them the maximum number of tourists. We are good to our neighbors but why should we tolerate such unprovoked hate? I've visited the Maldives many times and always praised it, but dignity first. Let us decide to #ExploreIndianIslands and support our own tourism," Kumar posted on X. Came across comments from prominent public figures from Maldives passing hateful and racist comments on Indians. Surprised that they are doing this to a country that sends them the maximum number of tourists. We are good to our neighbors but why should we tolerate such… pic.twitter.com/DXRqkQFguN — Akshay Kumar (@akshaykumar) January 7, 2024 × Akshay rang the New Year with his entire family in the Maldives. Praising the beauty of Lakshadweep, actor Salman Khan wrote, "It is so cool to see our Hon PM Narendrabhai Modi at the beautiful clean n stunning beaches of Lakshadweep, and the best part is that yeh hamare India mein hain." Came across comments from prominent public figures from Maldives passing hateful and racist comments on Indians. Surprised that they are doing this to a country that sends them the maximum number of tourists. We are good to our neighbors but why should we tolerate such… pic.twitter.com/DXRqkQFguN — Akshay Kumar (@akshaykumar) January 7, 2024 × Actress Shraddha Kapoor praised the pristine beaches of the Lakshadweep. "All these images and memes making me super FOMO now. Lakshadweep has such pristine beaches and coastlines, thriving local culture, I'm on the verge of booking an impulse chhutti This year, why not #ExploreIndianIslands," she wrote on X. All these images and memes making me super FOMO now 😍 Lakshadweep has such pristine beaches and coastlines, thriving local culture, I’m on the verge of booking an impulse chhutti ❤️ This year, why not #ExploreIndianIslands pic.twitter.com/fTWmZTycpO — Shraddha (@ShraddhaKapoor) January 7, 2024 × Check all the posts here: Smell?? Permanent smell?? What!!! Suffering from massive Muslim phobia, even though belonging to the same community. Lakshadweep consists of 98 percent of Muslim population, this prominent public figure from Maldives calling them smelly and lowly is rather racist and uninformed.… pic.twitter.com/hLbQvD5RYD — Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam) January 7, 2024 × With the amazing Indian hospitality, the idea of “Atithi Devo Bhava” and a vast marine life to explore. Lakshwadeep is the place to go.#exploreindianislands pic.twitter.com/CA1d9r0QZ5 — John Abraham (@TheJohnAbraham) January 7, 2024 × The rift started after Maldivian Minister Mariyam Shiuna made disparaging remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Lakshwadeep. Shiuna, who is the Deputy Minister of Youth Empowerment in the Maldives, called PM Modi 'clown' and 'puppet of Israel' on X. However, her post was quickly taken down from the site. Reacting to the derogatory remarks, the Maldives government distanced itself from the controversy, saying, ''These opinions are personal and do not represent the views of the Government of Maldives.'' In a statement, the Government of Maldives said that it is aware of the derogatory remarks made by the minister on social media platforms. "These opinions are personal and do not represent the views of the Government of Maldives. The Government believes that the freedom of expression should be exercised in a democratic and responsible manner, and in ways that do not spread hatred, negativity, and hinder close relationships between the Maldives and its international partners," the statement said. Maldives National Party condemns racist and derogatory comments made by a government official against a foreign head of State. This is unacceptable. We urge the government to take necessary action against those involved. — Maldives National Party (@MNP_Secretariat) January 7, 2024 × On Sunday evening, all the three ministers, Shiuna, Malsha and Hassan Zihan were suspended by the government over derogatory remarks made about Indian PM Modi. In an official statement, Maldives government spokesperson Ibrahim Khaleel said, "All government officials responsible for the comments have been suspended from their posts, effective immediately." (With inputs from agencies)

Akshay Kumar, Salman Khan and other celebs laud PM Modi’s visit to Lakshadweep amid Maldives row

<p>The Maldives government has suspended three deputy ministers -&nbsp;Mariyam Shiuna, Malsha&nbsp;Shareef and Hassan Zihan - over their derogatory remarks made about Indian PM Narendra Modi.</p>

<p>This comes after India officially expressed concerns to Malé over comments by these sitting ministers. In an official statement, Maldives government spokesperson Ibrahim Khaleel said, "All government officials responsible for the comments have been suspended from their posts, effective immediately."</p>

<p>Mariyam&nbsp;Shiuna, serving as the deputy minister at the Maldives Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Information, and Art, and the spokesperson of the Male City Council, had made disparaging remarks following Indian PM Modi's visit to Lakshadweep. Although Shiuna has since deleted her tweets, the incident sparked a diplomatic row between the two neighbouring countries.</p>

<p>Shiuna's fellow deputy minister, Malsha Sharif, also expressed negative remarks about India and criticised the tourism campaign.</p>

<p>These posts, coupled with similar content shared by prominent politicians and leaders, incited other users to post a string of&nbsp;racist comments directed at Indians and Indian tourists visiting the Maldives.</p>

<p>In an official statement, the Maldives foreign ministry clarified that these opinions were personal and did not reflect the nation's stance.</p>

<p>The statement said, "The Government of Maldives is aware of derogatory remarks on social media platforms against foreign leaders and high-ranking individuals. These opinions are personal and do not represent the views of the Government of Maldives."</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/maldivian-leader-roasted-after-he-mistakenly-shares-bora-bora-photo-to-counter-lakshadweep-677464">Also read |&nbsp;Maldivian leader roasted after he mistakenly shares Bora Bora photo to counter Lakshadweep</a></p>

<p>Political reactions soon started emerging from the opposition in the country. Faris Maumoon, the President of the Maldives Reform Movement, called on the government to take action against public officials who display disrespect towards the heads of state and high officials of friendly countries.</p>

<p>He emphasised that failure to do so could be interpreted as the government condoning such disrespectful comments.</p>

<p>Former Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed condemned Shiuna's language as "appalling" and urged the government to distance itself from her comments.</p>

<p>Nasheed further called for a clear assurance to India that Shiuna's remarks do not reflect the official policy of the Maldives government.<br />
<br />
The Maldives National Party also strongly criticised the "racist and derogatory comments" made by the government official, labelling them as unacceptable and urging the government to take necessary action against those involved.</p>

<p>Maldives Ex VP and Ex Tourism Minister Ahmed Adeeb and former FM Abdulla Shahid also condemned the comments.</p>

<p><strong>Also watch |&nbsp;Maldives government condemns minister's 'appalling' remarks for PM Modi</strong></p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/maldives-government-condemns-ministers-appalling-remarks-for-pm-modi-677471/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>The Mohamed Muizzu government, which came to power on the "India Out" movement, has displayed a marked anti-India stance since assuming office in November of the previous year, including not renewing the hydrographic agreement.</p>

<p>He has also been calling on India to remove its troops in the country, which have helped in evacuation efforts. The shift in diplomatic tone is evident in President Muizzu's decision to choose Turkey as his first foreign visit, breaking from the tradition of Maldives presidents traveling to India after taking charge.</p>

<p>Furthermore, the president is set to embark on a visit to China, indicating a deepening engagement between Male and Beijing.</p>
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The Maldives government has suspended three deputy ministers - Mariyam Shiuna, Malsha Shareef and Hassan Zihan - over their derogatory remarks made about Indian PM Narendra Modi. This comes after India officially expressed concerns to Malé over comments by these sitting ministers. In an official statement, Maldives government spokesperson Ibrahim Khaleel said, "All government officials responsible for the comments have been suspended from their posts, effective immediately." Mariyam Shiuna, serving as the deputy minister at the Maldives Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Information, and Art, and the spokesperson of the Male City Council, had made disparaging remarks following Indian PM Modi's visit to Lakshadweep. Although Shiuna has since deleted her tweets, the incident sparked a diplomatic row between the two neighbouring countries. Shiuna's fellow deputy minister, Malsha Sharif, also expressed negative remarks about India and criticised the tourism campaign. These posts, coupled with similar content shared by prominent politicians and leaders, incited other users to post a string of racist comments directed at Indians and Indian tourists visiting the Maldives. In an official statement, the Maldives foreign ministry clarified that these opinions were personal and did not reflect the nation's stance. The statement said, "The Government of Maldives is aware of derogatory remarks on social media platforms against foreign leaders and high-ranking individuals. These opinions are personal and do not represent the views of the Government of Maldives." Also read | Maldivian leader roasted after he mistakenly shares Bora Bora photo to counter Lakshadweep Political reactions soon started emerging from the opposition in the country. Faris Maumoon, the President of the Maldives Reform Movement, called on the government to take action against public officials who display disrespect towards the heads of state and high officials of friendly countries. He emphasised that failure to do so could be interpreted as the government condoning such disrespectful comments. Former Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed condemned Shiuna's language as "appalling" and urged the government to distance itself from her comments. Nasheed further called for a clear assurance to India that Shiuna's remarks do not reflect the official policy of the Maldives government. The Maldives National Party also strongly criticised the "racist and derogatory comments" made by the government official, labelling them as unacceptable and urging the government to take necessary action against those involved. Maldives Ex VP and Ex Tourism Minister Ahmed Adeeb and former FM Abdulla Shahid also condemned the comments. Also watch | Maldives government condemns minister's 'appalling' remarks for PM Modi The Mohamed Muizzu government, which came to power on the "India Out" movement, has displayed a marked anti-India stance since assuming office in November of the previous year, including not renewing the hydrographic agreement. He has also been calling on India to remove its troops in the country, which have helped in evacuation efforts. The shift in diplomatic tone is evident in President Muizzu's decision to choose Turkey as his first foreign visit, breaking from the tradition of Maldives presidents traveling to India after taking charge. Furthermore, the president is set to embark on a visit to China, indicating a deepening engagement between Male and Beijing.

Maldives govt suspends three ministers over derogatory remarks on PM Modi

The Maldives government on Sunday suspended three of its ministers after they shared offensive remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his Lakshadweep visit on social media, a Maldives spokesperson said.

Maldives suspends three ministers over remarks against PM Modi

Maldives suspends 3 ministers after objectionable comments against PM Modi

<p>Nobody could have predicted that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s one visit to Lakshadweep islands would hit a raw nerve in Maldivian leaders, with many of them taking to X to post derogatory remarks against India and top Indian leaders.</p>

<p>However, one such leader of the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives ended up embarrassing himself big time after he mistakenly posted pictures of French Polynesia’s Bora Bora islands in his distasteful attempt to put the Indian archipelago down.</p>

<p>Maaiz Mahmood, who claims to be a ‘teacher by profession’ and a member of the ruling party in his X bio, wrote on the social media platform, “Sun set in Maldives. &nbsp;You won't see this in Lakshadweep.” He also tagged Indian PM Modi’s X account in his post. Along with his post, he attached a photo from the Bora Bora islands, claiming it to be from the Maldives.</p>

<p>However, his post was soon flagged as false by community notes.</p>

<p><img alt="Image" src="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GDOAN6kbUAAR2G8?format=jpg&amp;name=medium" /></p>

<p>“This is not Maldives. This is Bora Bora in French Polynesia,” the community note read, appearing just below Mahmood’s post.</p>

<p>It was not long before Mahmood found himself getting roasted right, left and centre by Indians on X.</p>

<p>“Because sun doesn’t set anywhere else on earth,” quipped one user. “It’s Bora Bora Island in French Polynesia, not Maldives. &nbsp;Stop lying,” wrote another. “Maybe the sun has set on tourism in the Maldives,” a third user warned the tiny nation.</p>

<p>Meanwhile, some unverified reports on Indian social media claimed that more than 8,000 hotel bookings and 2,500 flight tickets were cancelled after a top Maldivian minister allegedly abused the Indian PM.</p>

<p><strong>Watch:&nbsp;Gravitas | Could Lakshadweep replace Maldives as tourist haven?&nbsp;</strong></p>

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<p>The Deputy Minister of Youth Empowerment, Information and Arts, allegedly referred to the Indian prime minister as a ‘clown’ and a ‘puppet of Israel’.</p>

<p>However, the Maldivian government later distanced itself from the statement and stated that “these opinions are personal and do not represent the views of the Government of Maldives.”</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/india-raises-concerns-over-derogatory-comments-by-maldives-minister-against-pm-modi-677434"><strong>Also read:&nbsp;Exclusive: India raises concerns over derogatory comments by Maldives minister against PM Modi</strong></a></p>

<p>“The Government believes that the freedom of expression should be exercised in a democratic and responsible manner, and in ways that do not spread hatred, negativity, and hinder close relationships between the Maldives and its international partners," the statement said.</p>


Nobody could have predicted that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s one visit to Lakshadweep islands would hit a raw nerve in Maldivian leaders, with many of them taking to X to post derogatory remarks against India and top Indian leaders.

Nobody could have predicted that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s one visit to Lakshadweep islands would hit a raw nerve in Maldivian leaders, with many of them taking to X to post derogatory remarks against India and top Indian leaders. However, one such leader of the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives ended up embarrassing himself big time after he mistakenly posted pictures of French Polynesia’s Bora Bora islands in his distasteful attempt to put the Indian archipelago down. Maaiz Mahmood, who claims to be a ‘teacher by profession’ and a member of the ruling party in his X bio, wrote on the social media platform, “Sun set in Maldives. You won't see this in Lakshadweep.” He also tagged Indian PM Modi’s X account in his post. Along with his post, he attached a photo from the Bora Bora islands, claiming it to be from the Maldives. However, his post was soon flagged as false by community notes. “This is not Maldives. This is Bora Bora in French Polynesia,” the community note read, appearing just below Mahmood’s post. It was not long before Mahmood found himself getting roasted right, left and centre by Indians on X. “Because sun doesn’t set anywhere else on earth,” quipped one user. “It’s Bora Bora Island in French Polynesia, not Maldives. Stop lying,” wrote another. “Maybe the sun has set on tourism in the Maldives,” a third user warned the tiny nation. Meanwhile, some unverified reports on Indian social media claimed that more than 8,000 hotel bookings and 2,500 flight tickets were cancelled after a top Maldivian minister allegedly abused the Indian PM. Watch: Gravitas | Could Lakshadweep replace Maldives as tourist haven? × The Deputy Minister of Youth Empowerment, Information and Arts, allegedly referred to the Indian prime minister as a ‘clown’ and a ‘puppet of Israel’. However, the Maldivian government later distanced itself from the statement and stated that “these opinions are personal and do not represent the views of the Government of Maldives.” Also read: Exclusive: India raises concerns over derogatory comments by Maldives minister against PM Modi “The Government believes that the freedom of expression should be exercised in a democratic and responsible manner, and in ways that do not spread hatred, negativity, and hinder close relationships between the Maldives and its international partners," the statement said.

Maldivian leader roasted after he mistakenly shares Bora Bora photo to counter Lakshadweep

Following Indian PM Modi's visit to Lakshadweep, several Maldives officials have mocked the Indian leader, which led to a controversy.

Maldives government condemns minister's 'appalling' remarks for PM Modi

<p>India has officially raised its concerns to Male over derogatory comments made by Mariyam Shiuna, a sitting Maldives minister, regarding India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Shiuna, who serves as Deputy Minister at the Maldives Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Information, and Art, as well as the spokesperson of the Male City Council, had made disparaging remarks following Indian PM Modi's visit to Lakshadweep. Although Shiuna has since deleted her tweets, the incident has sparked a diplomatic row between the two neighbouring countries.</p>

<h2><strong>Maldives&nbsp;government reacts&nbsp;</strong></h2>

<p>In a statement, the Government of Maldives said that&nbsp;it is aware of the derogatory remarks made by the minister on social media platforms. "These opinions are personal and do not represent the views of the Government of Maldives.&nbsp;The Government believes that the freedom of expression should be exercised in a democratic and responsible manner, and in ways that do not spread hatred, negativity, and hinder close relationships between the Maldives and its international partners," the statement said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Moreover, the relevant authorities of the Government will not hesitate to take action against those who make such derogatory remarks," it added.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Maldives political class has also not remained silent on the matter.</p>

<p>Faris, the President of the Maldives Reform Movement, called on the government to take action against public officials who display disrespect towards the heads of state and high officials of friendly countries.</p>

<p>Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/ram-lallas-standing-idol-in-dark-stone-to-grace-ayodhya-temple-trusts-general-secy-677353">Ram Lalla's standing Idol in dark stone to grace Ayodhya temple: Trust's general secy</a></p>

<p>He emphasised that failure to do so could be interpreted as the government condoning such disrespectful comments.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">The government must reprimand public officials who are disrespectful towards heads of state and high officials of friendly countries. If such punitive action is not taken, there is room to interpret that the disrespectful comments are condoned by the Maldives government.…</p>
— faris 🇲🇻 🇵🇸 (@afarismaumoon) <a href="https://twitter.com/afarismaumoon/status/1743696060596519091?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 6, 2024</a></blockquote>
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<p>Former Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed condemned the language used by Shiuna as "appalling" and urged the government to distance itself from her comments.</p>

<p>Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/maldives-jittery-as-lakshadweep-remains-top-trend-in-india-for-second-consecutive-day-677193">Maldives jittery as ‘Lakshadweep’ remains top trend in India for second consecutive day</a></p>

<p>Nasheed further called for a clear assurance to India that Shiuna's remarks do not reflect the official policy of the Maldives government.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">What appalling language by Maldives Government official <a href="https://twitter.com/shiuna_m?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@shiuna_m</a> towards the leader of a key ally, that is instrumental for Maldives’ security and prosperity. <a href="https://twitter.com/MMuizzu?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MMuizzu</a> gov must distance itself from these comments and give clear assurance to India they do not reflect gov policy.</p>
— Mohamed Nasheed (@MohamedNasheed) <a href="https://twitter.com/MohamedNasheed/status/1743857083379044782?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2024</a></blockquote>
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<p>The Maldives National Party also strongly criticised the "racist and derogatory comments" made by the government official, labelling them as unacceptable and urging the government to take necessary action against those involved.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Maldives National Party condemns racist and derogatory comments made by a government official against a foreign head of State. This is unacceptable. We urge the government to take necessary action against those involved.</p>
— Maldives National Party (@MNP_Secretariat) <a href="https://twitter.com/MNP_Secretariat/status/1743866346872676411?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2024</a></blockquote>
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<p>The Mohamed Muizzu government, which came to power on the "India Out" movement, has displayed a marked anti-India stance since assuming office in November last year, including not renewing the hydrographic agreement.</p>

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<p><strong>WATCH |&nbsp;<a data-ved="2ahUKEwiUh9uOh8uDAxWWTWwGHag0CY4QtwJ6BAgIEAI" href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-could-lakshadweep-replace-maldives-as-tourist-haven-677005" jsname="UWckNb" ping="/url?sa=t&amp;source=web&amp;rct=j&amp;opi=89978449&amp;url=https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-could-lakshadweep-replace-maldives-as-tourist-haven-677005&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiUh9uOh8uDAxWWTWwGHag0CY4QtwJ6BAgIEAI">Could Lakshadweep replace Maldives as tourist haven?&nbsp;</a></strong></p>

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<p>He has been also calling on India to remove its troops in the country, which have helped in evacuation efforts. The shift in diplomatic tone is evident in President Muizzu's decision to choose Turkey as his first foreign visit, breaking from the tradition of Maldives presidents travelling to India after taking charge.</p>
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<p>Furthermore, the president is set to embark on a visit to China, indicating a deepening engagement between Male and Beijing.</p>


India has officially raised its concerns to Male over derogatory comments made by Mariyam Shiuna, a sitting Maldives minister, regarding India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

India has officially raised its concerns to Male over derogatory comments made by Mariyam Shiuna, a sitting Maldives minister, regarding India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Shiuna, who serves as Deputy Minister at the Maldives Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Information, and Art, as well as the spokesperson of the Male City Council, had made disparaging remarks following Indian PM Modi's visit to Lakshadweep. Although Shiuna has since deleted her tweets, the incident has sparked a diplomatic row between the two neighbouring countries. Maldives government reacts In a statement, the Government of Maldives said that it is aware of the derogatory remarks made by the minister on social media platforms. "These opinions are personal and do not represent the views of the Government of Maldives. The Government believes that the freedom of expression should be exercised in a democratic and responsible manner, and in ways that do not spread hatred, negativity, and hinder close relationships between the Maldives and its international partners," the statement said. "Moreover, the relevant authorities of the Government will not hesitate to take action against those who make such derogatory remarks," it added. The Maldives political class has also not remained silent on the matter. Faris, the President of the Maldives Reform Movement, called on the government to take action against public officials who display disrespect towards the heads of state and high officials of friendly countries. Also Read | Ram Lalla's standing Idol in dark stone to grace Ayodhya temple: Trust's general secy He emphasised that failure to do so could be interpreted as the government condoning such disrespectful comments. The government must reprimand public officials who are disrespectful towards heads of state and high officials of friendly countries. If such punitive action is not taken, there is room to interpret that the disrespectful comments are condoned by the Maldives government.… — faris 🇲🇻 🇵🇸 (@afarismaumoon) January 6, 2024 × Former Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed condemned the language used by Shiuna as "appalling" and urged the government to distance itself from her comments. Also Read | Maldives jittery as ‘Lakshadweep’ remains top trend in India for second consecutive day Nasheed further called for a clear assurance to India that Shiuna's remarks do not reflect the official policy of the Maldives government. What appalling language by Maldives Government official @shiuna_m towards the leader of a key ally, that is instrumental for Maldives’ security and prosperity. @MMuizzu gov must distance itself from these comments and give clear assurance to India they do not reflect gov policy. — Mohamed Nasheed (@MohamedNasheed) January 7, 2024 × The Maldives National Party also strongly criticised the "racist and derogatory comments" made by the government official, labelling them as unacceptable and urging the government to take necessary action against those involved. Maldives National Party condemns racist and derogatory comments made by a government official against a foreign head of State. This is unacceptable. We urge the government to take necessary action against those involved. — Maldives National Party (@MNP_Secretariat) January 7, 2024 × The Mohamed Muizzu government, which came to power on the "India Out" movement, has displayed a marked anti-India stance since assuming office in November last year, including not renewing the hydrographic agreement. WATCH | Could Lakshadweep replace Maldives as tourist haven? × He has been also calling on India to remove its troops in the country, which have helped in evacuation efforts. The shift in diplomatic tone is evident in President Muizzu's decision to choose Turkey as his first foreign visit, breaking from the tradition of Maldives presidents travelling to India after taking charge. Furthermore, the president is set to embark on a visit to China, indicating a deepening engagement between Male and Beijing.

Exclusive: India raises concerns over derogatory comments by Maldives minister against PM Modi

<p><meta name="uuid" content="uuidfLSBrlvYcA9u" /><meta charset="utf-8" />The official websites of the Maldivian president's office, the foreign ministry and the tourism ministry were restored in the early hours of Sunday (Jan 7) after being down since last night in a suspected cyberattack.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The president's office had taken to its social media handles to report the unexpected disruption to the official websites. It informed that the National Centre for Information Technology and other relevant entities were actively working to resolve the issue.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Please note that the President’s Office website is currently facing an unexpected technical disruption. The National Centre for Information Technology (NCIT) and other relevant entities are actively working on resolving this promptly. We apologise for any inconvenience caused. Thank you for your understanding and patience."</p>

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<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-could-lakshadweep-replace-maldives-as-tourist-haven-677005" target="_blank"><strong>Watch | Gravitas | Could Lakshadweep replace Maldives as tourist haven?</strong></a></p>

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<h2><strong>Lakshadweep vs Maldives debate</strong></h2>

<p>Notably, the crashing of the government websites came hours after some Maldivian officials targeted India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.</p>

<p>Ever since the Indian PM visited Lakshadweep - an archipelago consisting of 36 islands located in the Arabian Sea, there has been an online discourse about whether the picturesque region&nbsp;could be the next Maldives.&nbsp;The term was ‘googled’ by over 50,000 users on the second day of PM Modi’s Jan 2-3 visit to the territory.</p>

<p>However, the discourse did not go down well with certain Maldivian government officials as well as social media users who started foul-mouthing PM Modi as well as India.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Mariyam Shiuna, the deputy minister of youth empowerment, information and arts referred to PM Modi as a 'clown' and a 'puppet of Israel' after he posted images from his visit to the archipelago.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“What a clown. The puppet of Israel Mr Narendra diver with a life jacket #VisitMaldives,” Shiuna posted on X.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/maldives-jittery-as-lakshadweep-remains-top-trend-in-india-for-second-consecutive-day-677193" target="_blank"><strong>Also read | Maldives jittery as ‘Lakshadweep’ remains top trend in India for second consecutive day</strong></a></p>

<p>Zahid Rameez, a Council member of the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) also targeted India by posting: “The move is great. However, the idea of competing with us is delusional. How can they provide the service we offer? How can they be so clean? The permanent smell in the rooms will be the biggest downfall.”</p>

<p>Maldives&nbsp;relies heavily on Indian tourists to keep its industry buoyant.&nbsp;According to a data, at the end of December 2023, as many as 209,198 Indian tourists arrived in Maldives for recreational purposes, making it the biggest demography to visit the island nation.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


The official websites of the Maldivian president's office, the foreign ministry and the tourism ministry were restored in the early hours of Sunday (Jan 7) after being down since last night in a suspected cyberattack.

The official websites of the Maldivian president's office, the foreign ministry and the tourism ministry were restored in the early hours of Sunday (Jan 7) after being down since last night in a suspected cyberattack. The president's office had taken to its social media handles to report the unexpected disruption to the official websites. It informed that the National Centre for Information Technology and other relevant entities were actively working to resolve the issue. "Please note that the President’s Office website is currently facing an unexpected technical disruption. The National Centre for Information Technology (NCIT) and other relevant entities are actively working on resolving this promptly. We apologise for any inconvenience caused. Thank you for your understanding and patience." Watch | Gravitas | Could Lakshadweep replace Maldives as tourist haven? × Lakshadweep vs Maldives debate Notably, the crashing of the government websites came hours after some Maldivian officials targeted India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Ever since the Indian PM visited Lakshadweep - an archipelago consisting of 36 islands located in the Arabian Sea, there has been an online discourse about whether the picturesque region could be the next Maldives. The term was ‘googled’ by over 50,000 users on the second day of PM Modi’s Jan 2-3 visit to the territory. However, the discourse did not go down well with certain Maldivian government officials as well as social media users who started foul-mouthing PM Modi as well as India. Mariyam Shiuna, the deputy minister of youth empowerment, information and arts referred to PM Modi as a 'clown' and a 'puppet of Israel' after he posted images from his visit to the archipelago. “What a clown. The puppet of Israel Mr Narendra diver with a life jacket #VisitMaldives,” Shiuna posted on X. Also read | Maldives jittery as ‘Lakshadweep’ remains top trend in India for second consecutive day Zahid Rameez, a Council member of the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) also targeted India by posting: “The move is great. However, the idea of competing with us is delusional. How can they provide the service we offer? How can they be so clean? The permanent smell in the rooms will be the biggest downfall.” Maldives relies heavily on Indian tourists to keep its industry buoyant. According to a data, at the end of December 2023, as many as 209,198 Indian tourists arrived in Maldives for recreational purposes, making it the biggest demography to visit the island nation. (With inputs from agencies)

Maldivian government websites restored after outage due to suspected cyberattack

<p>An earthquake of magnitude 5.4 struck Maldives on Saturday (Jan 6) evening. In a post on X, India's National Centre for Seismology (NCS) said the location of the earthquake was 896 kilometres West of Male.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Earthquake of Magnitude:5.4, Occurred on 06-01-2024, 17:16:34 IST, Lat: 3.06 &amp; Long: 65.51, Depth: 10 Km ,Location: 896km W of Male, Maldives for more information Download the BhooKamp App <a href="https://t.co/B6xdFpe6RF">https://t.co/B6xdFpe6RF</a><a href="https://twitter.com/KirenRijiju?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KirenRijiju</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Dr_Mishra1966?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Dr_Mishra1966</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ndmaindia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ndmaindia</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Indiametdept?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Indiametdept</a> <a href="https://t.co/s4vtOSBehD">pic.twitter.com/s4vtOSBehD</a></p>
— National Center for Seismology (@NCS_Earthquake) <a href="https://twitter.com/NCS_Earthquake/status/1743604948225413274?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 6, 2024</a></blockquote>
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<p>"Earthquake of Magnitude:5.4, Occurred on 06-01-2024, 17:16:34 IST, Lat: 3.06 &amp; Long: 65.51, Depth: 10 Km, Location: 896km W of Male," the NCS said.</p>

<p>There were no reports of injuries or damage.&nbsp;</p>

<p>On Dec 29 last year, four earthquakes were reported&nbsp;along the Carlsberg Ridge in the Indian Ocean, near the Maldives. According to the&nbsp;US&nbsp;Geological Survey, the quakes had&nbsp;magnitudes of 4.8, 5.2, 5.8, and 5.0, with varying depths ranging from 7.7 km to 10 km.</p>


An earthquake of magnitude 5.4 struck Maldives on Saturday (Jan 6) evening. In a post on X, India's National Centre for Seismology (NCS) said the location of the earthquake was 896 kilometres West of Male.

An earthquake of magnitude 5.4 struck Maldives on Saturday (Jan 6) evening. In a post on X, India's National Centre for Seismology (NCS) said the location of the earthquake was 896 kilometres West of Male. Earthquake of Magnitude:5.4, Occurred on 06-01-2024, 17:16:34 IST, Lat: 3.06 & Long: 65.51, Depth: 10 Km ,Location: 896km W of Male, Maldives for more information Download the BhooKamp App https://t.co/B6xdFpe6RF@KirenRijiju @Dr_Mishra1966 @ndmaindia @Indiametdept pic.twitter.com/s4vtOSBehD — National Center for Seismology (@NCS_Earthquake) January 6, 2024 × "Earthquake of Magnitude:5.4, Occurred on 06-01-2024, 17:16:34 IST, Lat: 3.06 & Long: 65.51, Depth: 10 Km, Location: 896km W of Male," the NCS said. There were no reports of injuries or damage. On Dec 29 last year, four earthquakes were reported along the Carlsberg Ridge in the Indian Ocean, near the Maldives. According to the US Geological Survey, the quakes had magnitudes of 4.8, 5.2, 5.8, and 5.0, with varying depths ranging from 7.7 km to 10 km.

Earthquake of magnitude 5.4 jolts Maldives

Indian Prime Minister Modi's pictures in Lakshadweep have taken the internet by storm. These pictures have led to parallels between Lakshadweep and Maldives. Will Lakshadweep become the next tourism hotspot?

Gravitas | Could Lakshadweep replace Maldives as tourist haven?

<p>As India-Maldives relations experience further strain following the demand for troop withdrawal, the Maldivian government led by President Mohamed Muizzu&nbsp;has chosen to terminate the hydrographic survey agreement with India. The announcement comes merely a month after President Muizzu requested the withdrawal of Indian military personnel from the Maldives, aligning with his 'India Out' campaign platform.</p>

<p>The hydrographic survey agreement, inked on June 8, 2019, during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the Maldives, permitted India to conduct a comprehensive study of the island nation's territorial waters, encompassing reefs, lagoons, coastlines, ocean currents, and tide levels.</p>

<p>The third Joint Hydrographic survey by the Indian Navy and the MNDF was carried out by the Indian Naval Ship Investigator (INS Investigator) from January 19 to February 26, 2023. The ship surveyed Northern Maldives covering Ihavandhippolhu and Thiladhanmatee atolls and Gallandhu Kandu.</p>

<p>As per an official release, the first Joint Hydrographic survey was carried out by INS Darshak in February/March 2021 and the second joint survey was carried out by INS Sutlej in April/ May 2022.</p>

<p>Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/indias-uma-sekhar-triumphs-over-us-russia-china-candidates-in-unidroit-election-669835">India's Uma Sekhar triumphs over US, Russia, China candidates in UNIDROIT election</a></p>

<p>Regarding the termination of the deal, Mohamed Firuzul Abdul Khaleel, Undersecretary for Public Policy at the Maldives President’s Office, announced the decision at a press conference, stating that the government opted not to renew the hydrography agreement set to expire on June 7, 2024.</p>

<p>He said that India has been officially informed of the Maldives' decision, adhering to the agreement's stipulated terms.</p>

<p>Firuzul explained, "According to the terms of this agreement, if one party wishes to drop the agreement, the other party must be informed of the decision six months before the agreement is set to expire. According to the terms, the agreement automatically renews for an additional five years, otherwise."</p>

<p>Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/canada-sikh-driver-flees-to-india-after-being-convicted-for-smuggling-cocaine-669769">Canada: Sikh driver flees to India after being convicted for smuggling cocaine</a></p>

<p>Citing national security concerns, Firuzul noted that future hydrographic surveys would be fully carried out by Maldivians, restricting access to "sensitive" information. He dubbed the move as "best for national security."</p>

<p><strong>Watch |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-indian-parliament-security-breach-who-was-behind-it-669797">Gravitas | Indian Parliament Security breach: Who was behind it?</a></strong></p>

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<p>Earlier this month, President Muizzu had announced the withdrawal of Indian soldiers from the Maldives, with both nations establishing a core group to discuss the continued usage of Indian military platforms in the island nation.</p>

<p>This move followed discussions between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Muizzu in Dubai, covering various aspects of bilateral cooperation, development, economy, and climate change.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


As India-Maldives relations experience further strain following the demand for troop withdrawal, the Maldivian government led by President Mohamed Muizzu has chosen to terminate the hydrographic survey agreement with India.

As India-Maldives relations experience further strain following the demand for troop withdrawal, the Maldivian government led by President Mohamed Muizzu has chosen to terminate the hydrographic survey agreement with India. The announcement comes merely a month after President Muizzu requested the withdrawal of Indian military personnel from the Maldives, aligning with his 'India Out' campaign platform. The hydrographic survey agreement, inked on June 8, 2019, during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the Maldives, permitted India to conduct a comprehensive study of the island nation's territorial waters, encompassing reefs, lagoons, coastlines, ocean currents, and tide levels. The third Joint Hydrographic survey by the Indian Navy and the MNDF was carried out by the Indian Naval Ship Investigator (INS Investigator) from January 19 to February 26, 2023. The ship surveyed Northern Maldives covering Ihavandhippolhu and Thiladhanmatee atolls and Gallandhu Kandu. As per an official release, the first Joint Hydrographic survey was carried out by INS Darshak in February/March 2021 and the second joint survey was carried out by INS Sutlej in April/ May 2022. Also Read | India's Uma Sekhar triumphs over US, Russia, China candidates in UNIDROIT election Regarding the termination of the deal, Mohamed Firuzul Abdul Khaleel, Undersecretary for Public Policy at the Maldives President’s Office, announced the decision at a press conference, stating that the government opted not to renew the hydrography agreement set to expire on June 7, 2024. He said that India has been officially informed of the Maldives' decision, adhering to the agreement's stipulated terms. Firuzul explained, "According to the terms of this agreement, if one party wishes to drop the agreement, the other party must be informed of the decision six months before the agreement is set to expire. According to the terms, the agreement automatically renews for an additional five years, otherwise." Also Read | Canada: Sikh driver flees to India after being convicted for smuggling cocaine Citing national security concerns, Firuzul noted that future hydrographic surveys would be fully carried out by Maldivians, restricting access to "sensitive" information. He dubbed the move as "best for national security." Watch | Gravitas | Indian Parliament Security breach: Who was behind it? × Earlier this month, President Muizzu had announced the withdrawal of Indian soldiers from the Maldives, with both nations establishing a core group to discuss the continued usage of Indian military platforms in the island nation. This move followed discussions between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Muizzu in Dubai, covering various aspects of bilateral cooperation, development, economy, and climate change. (With inputs from agencies)

Maldives govt scraps hydrographic survey agreement with India

In a significant diplomatic shift, the Maldives, led by its new president mohamed muizzu, has decided not to renew the hydrographic survey agreement with india. This comes merely a month after urging india to withdraw its military personnel from the region. The now-shelved survey is a cooperation between the Indian Navy and Maldives national defence force in the field of hydrology.

After troop removal demand, Maldives ends hydrology pact with India

The newly elected president of Maldives, Mohammed Muizzu, has taken yet another step to undermine ties with India. After calling for the removal of Indian troops, Maldives has now decided to end the hydrology pact with India.

Gravitas | Muizzu's move signals pro-China pivot | Maldives ends Hydrology Deal with India

Maldives cancels hydrology agreement with Indian Navy inked during PM Modi’s visit in 2019

<p>Maldives on Thursday (Dec 7) skipped key Colombo security dialogue held in Mauritius, raising eyebrows over the country's commitment to regional security cooperation mechanism that deals with challenges in the Indian ocean.</p>

<p>The Colombo security dialogue involves India, Maldives, Mauritius, and Sri Lanka, and focuses on addressing security challenges in the Indian Ocean region. Notably, only the National Security Advisers (NSAs) of India, Sri Lanka, and Mauritius were present during the meeting on Thursday.<br />
<br />
The development occurred on the same day when Maldives Vice President Hussain Mohamed Latheef was in China for the meeting of 'China-Indian Ocean Region Forum on Development Cooperation,' organised by the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA).</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-and-maldives-core-group-to-discuss-usage-of-indian-military-platforms-665815">India and Maldives core group to discuss usage of Indian military platforms</a></strong></p>

<p>Last year, Maldives skipped the China forum on the Indian Ocean, with no official representation from the Maldivian government. This absence was a source of embarrassment for Beijing, which had claimed representation from Maldives.</p>

<p>This latest development occurs amidst indications that the new leadership in Maldives is actively reaching out to countries such as&nbsp;Turkey and China, possibly signaling a shift in its diplomatic ties, including those with India.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also watch |&nbsp;Indian troops in Maldives to leave: President Muizzu</strong></p>

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<p>The new Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu&nbsp;travelled to Turkey in his first visit abroad, junking the traditional policy of new Maldives Presidents visiting India in their first visits abroad.</p>

<p>In Mauritius capital&nbsp;Port Louis, India was represented by NSA Ajit Doval, who participated in the 6th NSA-level Meeting of the Colombo Security Conclave.</p>

<p>In his statement, NSA Doval emphasised the crucial role of the conclave in "ensuring regional security and stability and highlighted the significance of continued engagements under the different pillars of cooperation".</p>

<p>The Indian NSA also called on&nbsp;Prime Minister of Mauritius,&nbsp;Pravind Kumar Jugnauth.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The 6th NSA-level Meeting hosted by Mauritius saw member states reviewing progress and build consensus on a Roadmap of Activities for 2024. The importance of the conclave in ensuring the safety, security, and stability of the Indian Ocean Region was reiterated.</p>

<p>Established in 2020, the Conclave aimed to expand the scope and membership of the Trilateral Meeting on Maritime Cooperation between India, Sri Lanka, and Maldives. Mauritius joined the Conclave during the fifth NSA-level meeting in Male, Maldives last year. Cooperation under the Colombo Security Conclave focuses on five pillars, including maritime safety and security, countering terrorism, combating trafficking and transnational organised crime, cyber security, and protection of critical infrastructure, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.</p>

<p>Bangladesh and Seychelles participate in the meetings as Observer States.</p>

<p>Over the past year, member and observer states have engaged in various activities, covering marine pollution, maritime law, coastal security, and cyber security. In addition to NSA-level meetings, the Colombo Security Conclave also convenes Deputy NSA-level meetings to oversee the implementation of decisions.</p>

<p>The next NSA-level meeting of the&nbsp;Colombo Security Conclave is scheduled to take place in India in 2024.&nbsp;</p>


Maldives on Thursday (Dec 7) skipped key Colombo security dialogue held in Mauritius, raising eyebrows over the country's commitment to regional security cooperation mechanism that deals with challenges in the Indian ocean.

Maldives on Thursday (Dec 7) skipped key Colombo security dialogue held in Mauritius, raising eyebrows over the country's commitment to regional security cooperation mechanism that deals with challenges in the Indian ocean. The Colombo security dialogue involves India, Maldives, Mauritius, and Sri Lanka, and focuses on addressing security challenges in the Indian Ocean region. Notably, only the National Security Advisers (NSAs) of India, Sri Lanka, and Mauritius were present during the meeting on Thursday. The development occurred on the same day when Maldives Vice President Hussain Mohamed Latheef was in China for the meeting of 'China-Indian Ocean Region Forum on Development Cooperation,' organised by the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA). Also read | India and Maldives core group to discuss usage of Indian military platforms Last year, Maldives skipped the China forum on the Indian Ocean, with no official representation from the Maldivian government. This absence was a source of embarrassment for Beijing, which had claimed representation from Maldives. This latest development occurs amidst indications that the new leadership in Maldives is actively reaching out to countries such as Turkey and China, possibly signaling a shift in its diplomatic ties, including those with India. Also watch | Indian troops in Maldives to leave: President Muizzu × The new Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu travelled to Turkey in his first visit abroad, junking the traditional policy of new Maldives Presidents visiting India in their first visits abroad. In Mauritius capital Port Louis, India was represented by NSA Ajit Doval, who participated in the 6th NSA-level Meeting of the Colombo Security Conclave. In his statement, NSA Doval emphasised the crucial role of the conclave in "ensuring regional security and stability and highlighted the significance of continued engagements under the different pillars of cooperation". The Indian NSA also called on Prime Minister of Mauritius, Pravind Kumar Jugnauth. The 6th NSA-level Meeting hosted by Mauritius saw member states reviewing progress and build consensus on a Roadmap of Activities for 2024. The importance of the conclave in ensuring the safety, security, and stability of the Indian Ocean Region was reiterated. Established in 2020, the Conclave aimed to expand the scope and membership of the Trilateral Meeting on Maritime Cooperation between India, Sri Lanka, and Maldives. Mauritius joined the Conclave during the fifth NSA-level meeting in Male, Maldives last year. Cooperation under the Colombo Security Conclave focuses on five pillars, including maritime safety and security, countering terrorism, combating trafficking and transnational organised crime, cyber security, and protection of critical infrastructure, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. Bangladesh and Seychelles participate in the meetings as Observer States. Over the past year, member and observer states have engaged in various activities, covering marine pollution, maritime law, coastal security, and cyber security. In addition to NSA-level meetings, the Colombo Security Conclave also convenes Deputy NSA-level meetings to oversee the implementation of decisions. The next NSA-level meeting of the Colombo Security Conclave is scheduled to take place in India in 2024.

Maldives skips key Colombo Security Dialogue in Mauritius

Maldives President Muizzu says that India has agreed to withdraw its soldiers from the island nation. Muizzu made these remarks following engagements on the sidelines of COP28 climate summit with the Indian officials.

Maldives: Pres Muizzu says India troops agreed to withdraw, India officials say discussions still on

<p>India and Maldives have agreed to form a core group to deliberate on the continued usage of Indian military platforms in the island nation. This initiative follows a key meeting between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu in Dubai, where the leaders discussed various aspects of bilateral cooperation, including development cooperation, economic relations, and climate change.</p>

<p>Regarding the utilisation of Indian platforms, such as helicopters and Dornier aircraft, gifted to the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF), sources stated that during the Dubai meeting on December 1, the leaders briefly discussed the issue of Indian platforms in the Maldives, emphasising that the "continued usefulness of the Indian platforms....needs to be looked at in a proper perspective."</p>

<p>According to sources, the "Maldivian side has acknowledged the utility of these platforms. The fact that it is an important segment of bilateral development partnership is recognised by both sides."</p>

<p>Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/jaishankar-amit-shah-react-as-bjp-secures-power-in-key-states-ahead-of-2024-elections-665806">Jaishankar, Amit Shah react as BJP secures power in key states ahead of 2024 elections</a></p>

<p>Both sides will be discussing how to keep the platforms operationally going, which are run by Indian military personnel, and the core group's role will be to look into the "details of how to take this forward".</p>

<p>President Muizzu, who had made the removal of Indian military personnel from the Maldives an election issue, raised the matter with Indian Minister Kiren Rijiju during his recent visit to the country.</p>

<p>He was in the country in November to take part in the oath-taking ceremony of the new President.</p>

<p>Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/telangana-elections-from-hattrick-loading-ktr-goes-to-missed-the-mark-after-defeat-665769">Telangana elections: From ‘hattrick loading’, KTR goes to ‘missed the mark’ after defeat</a></p>

<p>According to Maldives media reports, Muizzu after returning from his foreign visits, in a presser with the local media, stated that the "Indian government has agreed to remove the Indian soldiers and a high-level committee to solve the issues related to the development."</p>

<p>India's gifted platforms have not only contributed significantly to areas like humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, and combating illegal maritime activities but have also played a crucial role in executing over 500 medical evacuations in the past five years, saving numerous Maldivian lives.</p>

<p><strong>Watch |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/new-maldives-president-wants-india-out-662557">New Maldives President wants India out</a></strong></p>

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<p>Friday's meeting in Dubai on the sidelines of the Climate Summit was the first in-person meeting between Indian and Maldivian leaders since President Muizzu assumed office.</p>

<p>Breaking from tradition, the newly elected President embarked on his inaugural foreign visit to Turkey and the UAE instead of the customary first visit to India, signalling a departure from the longstanding practice where new Maldivian presidents traditionally travel to India to underscore the close ties between the two nations.<br />
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India and Maldives have agreed to form a core group to deliberate on the continued usage of Indian military platforms in the island nation. This initiative follows a key meeting between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu in Dubai, where the leaders discussed various aspects of bilateral cooperation, including development cooperation, economic relations, and climate change.

India and Maldives have agreed to form a core group to deliberate on the continued usage of Indian military platforms in the island nation. This initiative follows a key meeting between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu in Dubai, where the leaders discussed various aspects of bilateral cooperation, including development cooperation, economic relations, and climate change. Regarding the utilisation of Indian platforms, such as helicopters and Dornier aircraft, gifted to the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF), sources stated that during the Dubai meeting on December 1, the leaders briefly discussed the issue of Indian platforms in the Maldives, emphasising that the "continued usefulness of the Indian platforms....needs to be looked at in a proper perspective." According to sources, the "Maldivian side has acknowledged the utility of these platforms. The fact that it is an important segment of bilateral development partnership is recognised by both sides." Also Read | Jaishankar, Amit Shah react as BJP secures power in key states ahead of 2024 elections Both sides will be discussing how to keep the platforms operationally going, which are run by Indian military personnel, and the core group's role will be to look into the "details of how to take this forward". President Muizzu, who had made the removal of Indian military personnel from the Maldives an election issue, raised the matter with Indian Minister Kiren Rijiju during his recent visit to the country. He was in the country in November to take part in the oath-taking ceremony of the new President. Also Read | Telangana elections: From ‘hattrick loading’, KTR goes to ‘missed the mark’ after defeat According to Maldives media reports, Muizzu after returning from his foreign visits, in a presser with the local media, stated that the "Indian government has agreed to remove the Indian soldiers and a high-level committee to solve the issues related to the development." India's gifted platforms have not only contributed significantly to areas like humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, and combating illegal maritime activities but have also played a crucial role in executing over 500 medical evacuations in the past five years, saving numerous Maldivian lives. Watch | New Maldives President wants India out × Friday's meeting in Dubai on the sidelines of the Climate Summit was the first in-person meeting between Indian and Maldivian leaders since President Muizzu assumed office. Breaking from tradition, the newly elected President embarked on his inaugural foreign visit to Turkey and the UAE instead of the customary first visit to India, signalling a departure from the longstanding practice where new Maldivian presidents traditionally travel to India to underscore the close ties between the two nations.

India and Maldives core group to discuss usage of Indian military platforms

President-elect of Maldives Mohamed Muizzu has said that his country has started negotiations with India to remove its military presence. Removing Indian troops was a key campaign pledge by Muizzu, who ousted President Ibrahim Solih.

Indian troops in Maldives to leave: President Muizzu

Vice President of Maldives Hussain Mohamed Latheef has pledges unwavering support to newly-elected President Mohamed Muizzu. The reassurance comes after the former Abdulla Yameen broke away from ruling Progressive Party of Maldives.

Maldives: Cracks emerge in PPM; Abdulla Yameen resigns from the party | Race to Power

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