At 6:40 PM (IST) on 4th January, Mr Sinha shared PM Modi’s Lakshadweep video in a post on his X account. Little did he know that this post would cut the ground from under People’s National Congress’s (PNC) feet, the ruling party in Maldives.
It seems it has reached the Maldives & many Maldivians are hurt with this.
— Mr Sinha (@MrSinha_) January 5, 2024
Just to clarify that we have nothing against the Maldives, we are against your new govt which is pro China & anti India..
Mr Raushan Sinha, a political commentator, took to X to share PM Modi’s appeal to people around the world to visit Lakshadweep. “What a great move! It’s a big setback to the new Chinese puppet govt of Maldives. Also, it will boost tourism in #Lakshadweep,” Mr Sinha wrote.
The post irked Mariyam Shiuna, Maldives’ Deputy Minister of Youth Empowerment, Information and Arts. The Maldivian leader responded to Mr Sinha’s post calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi a “clown” and a “puppet of Israel”.
Shiuna, along with two more ruling party leaders in Maldives, is now suspended and has deleted her post. While Indian netizens in clear words objected to the derogatory words used against their country and Prime Minister, Mr Sinha raised in a significant point in his clarification post.
On 5th January, he wrote, “It seems it has reached the Maldives & many Maldivians are hurt with this. Just to clarify that we have nothing against the Maldives, we are against your new govt which is pro China & anti India.”
Speaking to OpIndia, he pointed out that the Opposition in Maldives is pro-India whereas the ruling government led by Mohamed Muizzu is pro-China. Notably, the controversy erupted ahead of Muizzu’s visit to China on 8th January.
On a different note,unlike Pakistan not all the citizens of Maldives are anti India.
— Mr Sinha (@MrSinha_) January 6, 2024
A large number of the population is pro India & their previous govt had a friendly relationship with us.
It's just the current gvt which is a Chinese puppet..
“MEA summons to Maldives envoy at a time when Maldivian President is in China is a big message to China in a way,” Mr Sinha said underlining the power of the clout Indians enjoy once they decide to unite against anti-India forces.
Mr Sinha, a Bihari businessman residing in Gujarat, takes active interest in Indian politics, geopolitics and foreign policy. He wears his Hindu identity with pride.
“There has been a significant boost of confidence among Indians since 2014,” Mr Sinha says, sharing his observation about the political changes he has seen in the country from his college days, when he actively participated in campus politics.
Mr Sinha is a Bihari living in Gujarat. His social media presence has grown strong over the years. Despite several of his old accounts suspended, his India first and pro-Hindu stand has resonated with many leading to a staggering 165.4k followers on X, formerly Twitter, which he joined in 2016.
Mr Sinha told OpIndia that he has received some death threats and abuses in his inbox ever since the controversy broke out. But he is certain that the calls by the Indian people to boycott Maldives have gathered support from the Indian government.
“A change in the government in Maldives would be good for India,” Mr Sinha said. On 7th January, he shared a post on X citing sources that Maldives Tourism is sponsoring an anti-India campaign.
“So the entire anti India campaign is being sponsored by a few business houses who are close to #Maldives President & their ministers. And President @MMuizzu is doing it purposely to please China. Sources say he’s visiting China in a few days. #BoycottMaldives,” Mr Sinha wrote sharing some images.
So the entire anti India campaign is being sponsored by a few business houses who are close to #Maldives President & their ministers.
— Mr Sinha (@MrSinha_) January 7, 2024
And President @MMuizzu is doing it purposely to please China. Sources say he's visiting China in a few days.#BoycottMaldives pic.twitter.com/eh3MFsKXee
In another anti-India post shared by a Maldivian newspaper, a call was made for an “urgent cap on Indian tourists visiting Maldives”. The post made comparisons between European tourists and Indian tourists giving reasons as to why the former is better than the latter. In the Indian tourist section, an image of Mr Sinha was used.
It is important to note the pic that they used when depicting Indian tourist 😂🤣
— Ketofol☀️ (@aka911_) January 6, 2024
It’s our very own superman, who defends our border when we sleep 🥰
The one and only @MrSinha_ 🥂 pic.twitter.com/BYFooGKhYc
Many anti-India personalities including politicians in Maldives were irked by the post Mr Sinha shared on Lakshadweep. This led to a spate of unsavoury exchanges finally forcing the Maldives government to issue a clarification. Additionally, it became imperative on senior leaders in Maldives to reaffirm their friendship with India and reiterate their commitment.
The controversy has exposed another enemy of India overseas but has also, more importantly, unleashed the power of the everyday Indian onto the world. Now, anti-India Maldivian ministers stand suspended. As for the virtual battle, the trend as it stands now is #VisitMaldives versus #ExploreIndianIslands #BoycottMaldives #MaldivesOut #LakshadweepTourism.
