Maldives government disavows "derogatory remarks" against PM Narendra Modi

Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu speaks during a plenary session at the COP28 United Nations Climate Summit. Rafiq Maqbool/AP

In a diplomatic response to the remarks made by three suspended deputy ministers against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Maldivian government has said that these comments do not represent its official stance.

During a pre-arranged meeting with India's High Commissioner Munu Muhawar, Dr. Ali Naseer Mohamed, the Ambassador-at-Large at the Maldives Foreign Ministry, emphasized that the remarks on social media platforms do not reflect the views of the Maldives government.

The meeting aimed to address bilateral issues and strengthen ties between the two nations, newswire PTI reported.

"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," the Indian High Commission posted on X.

A top Maldives government official said that during the meeting, Naseer made it clear that the remarks do not reflect the views of the Maldivian government, and reaffirmed Maldives' continued support for its neighbour, the Sun Online reported.

The Maldivian foreign ministry said the government is aware of "derogatory remarks" on social media platforms against foreign leaders and that the personal views do not represent its position.

The meeting came after India summoned Maldivian envoy Ibrahim Shaheeb on Monday to the external affairs ministry and conveyed strong concern over remarks posted on social media against the Prime Minister by a number of ministers of the Maldives.

Malsha Shareef, Mariyam Shiuna and Abdulla Mahzoom Majid - three deputy ministers at the Youth Ministry - had made derogatory remarks against India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on social media platform X, in response to a video promoting tourism in Lakshadweep.

The three ministers were suspended on Sunday after the remarks sparked an uproar on Indian social media.

Also read: No new inquiry for holidays in Maldives: Indian tour operators

In New Delhi, official sources said the Indian high commission in Male strongly raised the matter with the Maldivian foreign ministry on Sunday.

The disparaging remarks by the ministers have drawn flak in India, with many celebrities urging people on X to explore domestic tourist destinations instead of going to the Maldives.

There were also posts on social media claiming that some Indians are cancelling their scheduled trip to the Maldives following the diplomatic row.

"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," the Maldivian foreign ministry said in a statement on Sunday.

Former Maldivian president Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has also condemned the derogatory remarks of the three officials.

"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," Solih posted on X.