Ministers Maryam Shiuna, Malsha Shareef and Mahzoom Majid have been suspended.
The Maldivian government today suspended three ministers whose social media posts against India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi sparked a massive firestorm with several Indians claiming to have cancelled their scheduled vacation to the nation made up of more than a hundred islands dotted with luxury resorts. "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs today issued a statement on the stand of the Government of India in relation to some posts on social media that are insulting to neighboring India," the Maldives government said in a statement.
"Those who made such posts on social media while in government positions have now been suspended from their jobs," the statement said.
Ministers Maryam Shiuna, Malsha Shareef and Mahzoom Majid have been suspended.
It all began when these ministers and some other leaders in the Maldives posted derogatory remarks against PM Modi after he posted several photos and videos from his recent visit to Lakshadweep. His posts where he was seen snorkelling went viral, prompting social media users to suggest India's smallest Union Territory as an alternate tourist destination to the Maldives.
The Maldivian government, earlier in the day, distanced itself from these remarks and said the opinions were "personal and do not represent the views of the Government" after several opposition leaders in the country slammed the "appalling language".
The freedom of expression should be exercised in a democratic and responsible manner, and in ways that do not spread hatred, and negativity, and hinder close relationships between the Maldives and its international partners, it said.
The statement followed massive outrage within the Maldives with several prominent leaders criticising the remarks against the nation's "closest neighbour". Former Maldives president Mohamed Nasheed described the remarks as “appalling" and asked President Mohamed Muizzu's government to distance itself from these comments.
Former Vice President Ahmed Adeeb strongly condemned the "derogatory and racist comments made by a group of Maldivian politicians".
This comes as a big reassurance to India amid the diplomatic tussle with the island nation.
Ties between the two countries took a downturn after Mohamed Muizzu, whose election pledge was to remove a small contingent of some 75 Indian military personnel in the country and alter the Maldives's "India first" policy, took over as president of the Indian Ocean nation in November.
Unlike most of his predecessors who visited India first after being elected, Mr Muizzu chose Turkey as his first international port of call. He later met PM Modi in the United Arab Emirates on the sidelines of COP28. The two countries have set up a core group to discuss the withdrawal of Indian troops.
Indian personnel are deployed to operate three gifted aircraft patrolling the maritime territory.
The geography of both these destinations is very similar as both these places have low-lying islands, reefs and pristine beaches. Lakshadweep and Maldives are separated by the Eight Degree Channel.