Maldivian envoy summoned amid row over 'derogatory remarks' against PM Modi

New Delhi: The Maldivian envoy to India was on Monday summoned to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and conveyed strong concern over remarks posted on social media against Prime Minister Narendra Modi by some ministers of the Maldives, sources said.

Malsha Shareef, Mariyam Shiuna and Abdulla Mahzoom Majid all worked as deputy ministers for the archipelago's Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Information and Arts and were suspended by the Maldives government for their comments on social media.
The three had variously labelled PM Modi a "clown", "terrorist" and "puppet of Israel" on social media platform X, in response to a video of him visiting the Indian islands of Lakshadweep to promote local tourism.

In New Delhi, official sources said the Indian high commission in Male strongly raised the matter with the Maldivian foreign ministry on Sunday.

The disparaging remarks by the ministers have drawn flak in India, with many celebrities urging people on X to explore domestic tourist destinations instead of going to the Maldives.

There were also posts on social media claiming that some Indians are cancelling their scheduled trip to the Maldives given the row.

The Maldivian foreign ministry said the government is aware of "derogatory remarks" on social media platforms against foreign leaders and that the personal views do not represent its position.

"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," the Maldivian foreign ministry said in a statement on Sunday. 
(With inputs from PTI and Reuters)