• Source:JND
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Amid an ongoing diplomatic row between India and Maldives after Maldivian ministers made derogatory remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Lakshadweep, President Mohamed Muizzu on Saturday said that no country had the right to ‘bully’ the island nation. This comes following his five-day visit to China. 

"We may be small, but that doesn’t give you the licence to bully us," Muizzu said while addressing a press conference on Saturday. A video of his remarks is going viral on social media platforms. 

Muizzu’s remark comes at a time when China stated that it ‘firmly opposes external interference’ in the internal affairs of the Maldives and supports the island nation’s sovereignty and independence. 

During his recent visit to China, Muizzu appealed to Beijing to intensify efforts to send more tourists to Maldives. “China was our (Maldives') number one market pre-Covid, and it is my request that we intensify efforts for China to regain this position," he said.

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India-Maldives Row: 

A row erupted between India and Maldives after some Maldivian politicians including ministers made derogatory remarks about PM Modi’s visit to Lakshadweep. 

Maldives minister Abdulla Mahzoom Majid in a social media post claimed that India is shifting focus from Maldives by promoting Lakshadweep as another tourist spot. Deputy Minister of Youth Empowerment in Maldives, Mariyam Shiuna, called Modi a ‘clown’ or ‘puppet’ in a now-deleted post on X, formerly known as Twitter. 

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However, after India raised the matter with the Maldives, the island nation suspended three ministers from their posts on January 7. The suspended ministers were Mariyam Shiuna, Malsha Shareef, and Mahzoom Majid. 

After huge outrage over Maldivian ministers’ remark in India, the Maldivian envoy to India was summoned to the External Affairs Ministry and conveyed its strong concerns over derogatory remarks against PM Modi.

Following massive controversy, the Maldives government also issued an official statement saying, "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...Moreover, the relevant authorities of the Government will not hesitate to take action against those who make such derogatory remarks.”

Following Maldivian ministers’ derogatory remarks against PM Modi, several hotel bookings, and flight tickets were cancelled and ‘Boycott Maldives’ began trending on social media platforms.