Following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Lakshadweep, a social media post by a Maldives minister has sparked a massive controversy.
PM Modi’s visit to the country’s smallest Union Territory, with an area of 32 sqkm, was seen as a move to promote tourism on the island. He also went snorkelling and shared his “exhilarating experience” of the islands in the Arabian Sea.
Maldivian politician Zahid Rameez and minister Mariyam Shiuna’s racist remarks targeting Indians and mocking Prime Minister Narendra Modi for pitching Lakshadweep as a tourist destination has triggered widespread condemnation.
In his tweet, the minister accused India of targeting the Maldives and said India faces significant challenges in competing with the Maldives in beach tourism.
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Rameez, a member of the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), in one of the tweets, shared an India Today report on the significance of PM Modi’s Lakshadweep visit, and accused India of “copying a small economy like Sri Lanka” to make money.
“It is very sad that a big country like India is trying to make money by copying a small economy like Sri Lanka,” the Maldivian MP wrote on X.
Rameez also made controversial remarks on January 5, sharing another tweet which claimed that PM Modi’s move was a “big setback” for the Maldives and “will boost” tourism in Lakshadweep.
“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,” he stated.
Besides him, minister, Mariyam Shiuna, also made derogatory remarks against PM Modi and called the Indian Prime Minister a “clown” and “puppet” in now-deleted posts on X. The tweets were taken down after backlash on the micro-blogging site.
Later, former Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed condemned the country’s leaders’ derogatory remarks against PM Modi. He said the language used by the minister Mariyam Shiuna was “appalling” and said India was a “key ally” for the security and prosperity of the island nation.