Amid outrage on social media over the derogatory remarks made by Mariyam Shiuna about Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Mohamed Muizzu-led-Maldives government has suspended her from the position of Deputy Minister of Youth Empowerment, Information and Arts on Sunday (7th January).
As per a report by Atoll Times, the government has also suspended Ministers Malsha Shareef and Mahzoom Majid . Earlier in the day, the Indian government raised strong objections with the Maldivian government against the remarks made by Mariyam Shiuna.
Following the backlash, the Government of Maldives issued a token statement of condemnation. It read, “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…Moreover, the relevant authorities of the Government will not hesitate to take action against those who make such derogatory remarks.”
1) Deputy Minister of Youth Empowerment, Information and Arts :🇲🇻 Maldives (Abdulla Mahzoom Majid @MahzoomMajidh) pic.twitter.com/Z1XAEsj1Gg
— Suryabhan Singh Vaghela (@suryabhansv) January 6, 2024
The background of the controversy
On 4th January, PM Narendra Modi shared some pictures of his recent visit to Lakshadweep as he exhorted people to explore the scenic island in what could be seen as a push to his ‘vocal for local’ slogan, and an effort to give a boost to tourism in the island.
Following PM Modi’s tweet posting stunning vistas from the Lakshadweep Islands, several social media users in India called for Indians to visit the place over foreign destinations, including the Maldives, which shares similar geographical characteristics as the Lakshadweep Islands.
That touched off bitter reactions from Maldivian counterparts, including governmental functionaries and prominent citizens, many of whom resorted to making churlish remarks against India, Indians, and the Indian PM.
Mariyam Shiuna, Deputy Minister of Youth Empowerment, Information and Arts, recently made insulting remarks against PM Modi, referring to him as a ‘clown’ and a ‘puppet of Israel’ after he posted pictures from his visit to Lakshadweep Islands.
“What a clown. The puppet of Israel Mr Narendra diver with a life jacket #VisitMaldives,” Shiuna tweeted. The post was deleted after backlash on X, formerly known as Twitter, where Indian social media users slammed the Maldives government officials, including Shiuna, for their crass remarks against the Indian Prime Minister.
It is worth noting that PM Modi did not mention the Maldives anywhere in his tweets.
