By Vivek Dubey
CNBC-TV18.com
Published Jan 08, 2024
Indian celebrities and netizens are calling for a boycott of the Maldives as a tourist destination after some Maldivian ministers insulted PM Modi on social media.
The controversy started when PM Modi visited Lakshadweep and posted a picture of the scenic island on X, praising its beauty and potential.
Three deputy ministers from the Maldivian youth ministry, Malsha Shareef, Mariyam Shiuna and Abdulla Mahzoom Majid, mocked Modi’s post and implied that he was trying to compete with the Maldives.
The Maldivian government reportedly suspended the three deputy ministers for their derogatory comments and apologised to India for the incident.
Lakshadweep is a group of 36 islands in the Arabian Sea, with a rich biodiversity and coral reefs. It is a Union Territory of India and a popular tourist spot.
Bollywood stars like Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar and Shraddha Kapoor have urged their fans to explore Indian islands and coastal areas instead of the Maldives.