As #BoycottMaldives Trends, Maldives-Lakshadweep Goof Up Viral

Many Indians have rose up in anger after some leaders in the Maldives used derogatory language on Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Lakshadweep, India's smallest Union Territory.

From celebrities to sportspersons to influencers, many in India are leading the #BoycottMaldives call to switch their travel destination from the Maldives to Lakshadweep, the archipelago of 36 islands spread across 32 sqkm.

Some social media posts, however, have been flagged for uploading and sharing incorrect visuals - i.e. showing photos of white, sandy beaches in the Maldives as they are from Lakshadweep.

The rush to ride the #BoycotMaldives trend has led to incorrect posting of visuals without verification.

Actor Ranveer Singh was among those who inadvertently shared a Maldives photo as Lakshadweep.

Union Minister Kiren Rijiju also posted two photos of tourists on an island, with hashtags that encouraged people to explore India before considering travelling abroad.

However, some users on X, formerly Twitter, pointed out one of the two photos posted by Mr Rijiju was taken in the Maldives, not Lakshadweep.

In the Maldives too, a post by a local politician Maaiz Mahmood of what he claimed to be his island nation was in fact an image of French Polynesia's Bora Bora islands..

"Sunset in the Maldives. You won't see this in Lakshadweep," he wrote on X while using the hashtag #VisitMaldives. He also tagged PM Modi's X account in his post. He later deleted the tweet.

The Maldives government has suspended the three ministers - Maryam Shiuna, Malsha Shareef, and Mahzoom Majid - over the posts.

Mohamed Nasheed, the first democratically-elected President of the Maldives, had strongly condemned the "appalling" social media posts by ministers in the archipelago's government on PM Modi's visit to Lakshadweep islands.

Condemning these statements, Mr Nasheed had asked Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu to tell the world that the comments by the ministers "do not reflect government policy."