Amid the ongoing diplomatic row with the Maldives over derogatory remarks made against Prime Minister Narendra Modi by three of their now-suspended deputy ministers, the Opposition appears to be divided on the issue of India’s response to the matter. The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Indian National Congress (INC) have spoken in different voices on the issue.
NCP founder Sharad Pawar said remarks against the Prime MInister of India are unacceptable. “He (Narendra Modi) is the Prime Minister of our country and if anyone from any other country holding any position makes such comments on our PM, we won’t accept it.”
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The veteran politician also stressed on the need to respect the Prime Minister’s post and object to any derogatory comments from outside. “We must respect the PM’s post. We won’t accept anything against the Prime Minister from outside the country,” Pawar said addressing a press conference in Mumbai.
While the NCP backed PM Modi, the Congress took a jab, claiming that the PM tends to take things ‘personally’ since his ascent to power in 2014.
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Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, who advocated having good relations with neighbours, said our actions must be in accordance with time.
“After Narendra Modi came to power, he is taking everything personally. At the international level, we should keep a good relationship with our neighbours…We should act according to time…We cannot change our neighbours…” Kharge said.
How the Maldives row erupted
The controversy stemmed from Narendra Modi’s social media posts regarding his visit to Lakshadweep Islands on January 2, where he encouraged people to visit the destination. Subsequently, some prominent Maldivian social media users, including politicians, responded with derogatory comments targeting India and the PM.
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In a now-deleted post, Mariyam Shiuna, the Maldivian Deputy Minister of Youth Empowerment, made a mocking and disrespectful reference to PM Modi. In response, Indians, including cricketers and film celebrities, publicly supported promoting local beach destinations and other tourist spots. They also voiced backing for PM Modi’s initiative to boost beach tourism in Lakshadweep.
The Maldives government distanced itself from the remarks made by its ministers. Maldivian Minister of Foreign Affairs Moosa Zameer stated that such remarks against foreign leaders are “unacceptable” and do not reflect the official stance of the Maldivian government.
On Monday, the Indian High Commissioner to Maldives, Munu Mahawar, held a scheduled meeting with Ali Naseer Mohamed, Ambassador at Large, at the Maldivian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Male.
The Indian High Commission in Maldives posted on X, “High Commissioner Munu Mahawar had a pre-arranged meeting with H.E. Dr Ali Naseer Mohamed, Ambassador at Large, at MoFA, Maldives, today to discuss bilateral issues.”
Earlier on Sunday,former Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih affirmed that New Delhi has always been a reliable friend to the island nation.
Using his official handle on X, Solih posted, “I condemn the use of hateful language against #India by Maldivian government officials on social media. India has always been a good friend to Maldives and we must not allow such callous remarks to negatively impact the age old friendship between our two countries.”