India's External Affairs Ministry Demands Termination, Not Mere Suspension Of Three Maldives Ministers For Derogatory Remarks: Report

On Monday (8 January), the Maldivian high commissioner to India was called to the external affairs ministry, where he was severely reprimanded for derogatory comments made against Prime Minister Narendra Modi on social media by various ministers in President Mohamed Muizzu's administration.

Ibrahim Shaheeb, the High Commissioner of the Maldives, was informed that due to the deterioration of the bilateral relationship caused by the Maldives, the responsibility to mend it lies with President Muizzu, according to individuals knowledgeable about the situation.

According to Hindustan Times, the envoy was also strongly advised that the three junior ministers should be terminated from their positions, not merely suspended.

The Ministry of External Affairs was abrupt with the high commissioner, who was dismissed within four minutes, as per the individuals mentioned earlier.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is pondering whether these junior ministers were deliberately directed to provoke this anger just before President Muizzu's trip to China to solicit funds from President Xi Jinping.

The trio of deputy ministers had made offensive comments about Modi's X post after his Lakshadweep visit, suggesting it was a ploy to promote the Union Territory as a rival tourist spot to the Maldives.

The foreign ministry of Maldives has acknowledged the existence of "disparaging comments" about foreign leaders on social media, clarifying that these personal opinions do not reflect the stance of the government.

"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.