Maldives suspends 3 deputy ministers for insulting Indian Prime Minister

President Muizzu, who won elections in September 2023 on pledges that included removing an Indian military contingent that operates maritime aircraft from the Maldives, has banned the deputy ministers from working pending an investigation, according to the Maldives government.

The suspended deputy ministers are Malsha Shareef, Abdulla Mahzoon and Mariyam Shiuna.

The officials made insulting remarks to Prime Minister Modi after he visited the Indian territory of Lakshadweep, a cluster of coral islands just north of the Maldives.

“The Government of Maldives is aware of the offensive comments on social media platforms directed at foreign leaders and high-ranking individuals. These comments are personal and do not represent the views of the Government of Maldives,” the Maldives government said in a statement.

Prime Minister Modi on January 4 posted pictures on social media of his underwater expedition in Lakshadweep and shared his “exciting experience” of his trip to the islands in the Arabian Sea.

However, shortly after, the Maldivian deputy ministers posted insulting comments on social media about Prime Minister Modi, claiming that his posts were aimed at the Maldives, and threatened that India would face significant challenges in competing with the Maldives in the field of marine tourism.

One of the above ministers claimed that India is shifting its focus from Maldives by promoting Lakshadweep as another tourist destination.

A senior Maldivian administrative official said the Male government was concerned about the fallout from the remarks because Indians are the largest group of foreign tourists to the Maldives, where tourism accounts for nearly a third of the economy.

The controversy comes amid strained relations between India and the Maldives after President Muizzu took office.