• Source:JND
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Soon after media reports claimed that the Maldives government suspended three ministers over derogatory remarks made against Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday, Maldivian Deputy Minister Hassan Zihan refuted all such claims calling it 'fake news'.

A controversy erupted after a Maldivian deputy minister and some other government officials shared derogatory posts about PM Modi's recent visit to Lakshadweep. Let's take a look at who are the ministers and what did they say:

Mariyam Shiuna

- Mariyam Shiuna is the cabinet minister in the Maldives government.

- She is the deputy minister at the Maldives Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Information, and Art and also the spokesperson of the Male City Council.

- In her post, Shiuna called PM Modi a 'clown' and 'puppet' over his visit to Lakshadweep.

About Her Post

Shiuna made a post mocking and making disrespectful reference to Prime Minister Modi over his recent visit to Lakshadweep, which lies close to Maldives. The post by Shiuna -- which has now been deleted -- featured images of PM Modi from his recent visit to the Union Territory.

Zahid Rameez

- He is a Maldivian MP from the ruling party- Progressive Party of Maldives Senate since January 2013.

- According to his LinkedIn bio, he is an "experienced Founder with a demonstrated history of working in the food & beverages industry. Skilled in Management, Business Development, Marketing Strategy, Troubleshooting, and Advertising."

- He triggered a row after he made remarks over PM Modi's Lakshdweep's visit and India's economy.

About His Post

"It is very sad that a big country like India is trying to make money by copying a small economy like Sri Lanka," he had said in his post.

PM Modi's Visit To Lakshadweep

PM Modi visited the Union Territory of Lakshadweep on January 2 and shared several pictures, including an 'exhilarating experience' of him trying his hand at snorkeling.

In a series of posts on X, PM Modi shared pictures of the white beaches and the pristine blue skies and the ocean, and tagged them with a message that read, "For those who wish to embrace the adventurer in them, Lakshadweep has to be on your list."