Maldives suspends three ministers over remarks against PM Modi

Male, Jan 7:  The Maldivian government on Sunday suspended its three ministers for remarks against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his Lakshadweep visit, local media reported.

The ministers -- Mariyam Shiuna, Malsha and Hassan Zihan -- have been suspended for their derogatory remarks against Prime Minister Modi on X, Atoll Times reported.

Though Prime Minister Modi promoted Lakshadweep as a tourist destination and did not even mention Maldives, irked minister of the Island country said : "India faces significant challenges in competing with the Maldives in beach tourism."

In the post, Shiuna shared a video and referred to Prime Minister Modi as a "clown and puppet of Israel". Malsha also shared Modi's video on X using mocking emoji.

The post was deleted after backlash on X, where Indian social media users slammed the Maldivian government officials, including Shiuna.

In a statement, the Maldivian foreign ministry said it was 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 statement read.

An official from the President's Office confirmed the suspensions, but did not provide further details.