Maldives Minister Accuses India of Targeting Tourism in Tweet, Days After PM Modi Visits to Lakshadweep
New Delhi: A tweet from a Maldivian minister has sparked controversy on social media, just days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Lakshadweep archipelago. The visit to the country’s smallest Union Territory, consisting of 36 islands spanning 32 sq km, was perceived as an effort to boost tourism in the region.
In the tweet, the minister accused India of targeting the Maldives and claimed that India faces substantial challenges in competing with the Maldives in beach tourism. This reaction followed PM Modi’s posts on X (formerly Twitter) about snorkeling in Lakshadweep, which gained widespread attention on social media in India, with suggestions for the island Union Territory as an alternative tourist destination to the Maldives.
India-Maldives relations have been strained in recent months, particularly since President Mohamed Muizzu assumed power in November 2023. In his election pledge, President Muizzu expressed intentions to reduce the presence of around 75 Indian military personnel in the Maldives and shift the country’s foreign policy away from an “India first” approach.
President Muizzu is scheduled to visit China on Monday, as announced by the Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying. Chinese President Xi Jinping extended the invitation, emphasizing the longstanding friendship between China and the Maldives, spanning over 52 years.
In a departure from the previous practice, where Maldivian leaders typically visited India first, President Muizzu, perceived as a pro-China politician, defeated his India-friendly predecessor Ibrahim Mohamed Solih in the presidential runoff held in September. The new President met with PM Modi in Dubai during the COP28 climate talks in December 2023, where they established a core group to discuss multidimensional relations and deepen ties.
Tensions escalated further when President Muizzu urged New Delhi to withdraw 77 Indian military personnel from the Maldives and initiated a review of more than 100 bilateral agreements between the two countries. The new Maldivian Vice President Hussain Mohamed Latheef’s recent visit to China, without mentioning China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), also drew attention, particularly considering China’s significant investments in the Maldives’ infrastructure projects.
The Maldives, a crucial maritime neighbor in the Indian Ocean Region for India, holds a strategic position just 70 nautical miles from the Lakshadweep’s Minicoy island and 300 nautical miles from the mainland’s western coast. Its location at the crossroads of commercial sea lanes in the Indian Ocean further underscores its strategic importance in India’s initiatives like SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) and the ‘Neighborhood-First Policy’ of the Modi government.
The Minister of #Maldives, son of a beach @MahzoomMajidh has insulted Modi and Indian culture.🤬
Another minister @malshasharyf beach has retweeted it shamelessly 🤬
Now, repeat after me #BoycottMaldives pic.twitter.com/RK5EonIj7K
— GemsOfTelangana (@GemsOfKCR) January 6, 2024
