On Sunday, the Maldives government took action against three ministers for their offensive remarks about Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Mariyam Shiuna, Malsha Shareef, and Mahzoom Majid were all suspended due to the backlash caused by their criticism of Modi.
The Maldivian government released a proclamation earlier in the day, claiming that the words spoken by the junior female minister Mariyam Shiuna were her own personal opinion and not a reflection of the government’s stance. Following this, India made it known that her comments were not appropriate and couldn’t be tolerated.
Ex-presidents Mohammad Nasheed and Ibrahim Solih called for action to be taken against the ministers for their comments about Prime Minister Modi.
Former president Ibrahim Solih strongly disapproved of the derogatory language used against India by Maldivian government officials on social media platforms. He reminded that India has always been a dependable ally to Maldives and urged that such crass remarks should not be allowed to damage their long-lasting friendship.
Abdulla Shahid, the former Foreign Minister of the Maldives, publicly called for serious repercussions to be taken against the two Deputy Ministers of the current government and a member of a political party in the ruling coalition. These individuals had made insulting comments about Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Indian people on social media, which he deemed “reprehensible and odious.” He urged the government to discipline these officials.