The Maldives government on Sunday suspended three of its ministers for their derogatory remarks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, following the latter's recent visit to Lakshadweep, a local media Atoll Times reported.
Mariyam Shiuna, Malsha Shareef and Mahzoom Majid were suspended after their remarks triggered a massive backlash. Earlier in the day, the Maldives government in a statement distanced itself from the remarks, calling them ' personal opinion'
The Maldives government which saw a sudden surge in the cancellations in tourists from India, said that they would not hesitate to take action against those making such remarks.
Indian cine stars such as Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar and Shraddha Kapoor along with other prominent personalities have also appealed to fans to "explore Indian islands" and coastal destinations. Indian social media users used the hashtag “Boycott Maldives” and vowed to refrain from travelling to Maldives for their vacations.
The post by Mariyam Shiuna -- which has now been deleted -- featured the pictures of PM Modi from his recent visit to Lakshadweep. “What a clown. The puppet of Israel Mr. Narendra Diver with life jacket. #VisitMaldives #SunnySideOfLife,” the post said. Two other ministers also made derogatory comments against India.