’Nationalism greater than...’: EaseMyTrip co-founder as company suspends flight bookings to Maldives

Following the controversial remarks made by three Maldivian ministers against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, home-grown travel company EaseMyTrip has decided to stop bookings for the island nation, claiming that 'nationalism' is greater than any 'personal interest'.

Also Read | India-Maldives Diplomatic Row: 3 ministers suspended, EaseMyTrip stops bookings, Lakshadweep in focus | Top 10 Updates

Announcing the news via a post on X (formerly Twitter), EaseMyTrip founder Prashant Pitti wrote, "Water & beaches of Lakshadweep are as good as Maldives/Seychelles. We at @EaseMyTrip will come up with crazy special-offers to promote this pristine destination that our PM @narendramodi has recently visited!"

The idea was further supported by EaseMyTrip CEO Nishant Pitti who confirmed that the travel company has indeed stopped flight bookings to the Maldives. 

In an interaction with news agency ANI, Prashant Pitti said, “...Our company is entirely homegrown and made in India. Amid the row over Maldives MP's post on PM Modi's visit to Lakshadweep, we have decided that we will not accept any bookings for Maldives...We want Ayodhya and Lakshadweep to turn out as international destinations...”

Meanwhile, in an interaction with Moneycontrol, Prashant Pitti said, “As many as 2.9 lakh people from India visit the Maldives annually, and we have decided not to serve them anymore. Nationalism is greater than any personal interest,”

What is the controversy about?

A row erupted on social media last week when a minister and some other leaders in the Maldives used derogatory remarks against PM Modi after he posted a video of him on a beach in Lakshadweep.

The post by Mariyam Shiuna – which has now been deleted – featured the pictures of PM Modi from his recent visit to Lakshadweep. The Deputy Minister of Youth Empowerment, Information and Arts, referred to the Indian prime minister as a ‘clown’ and a ‘puppet of Israel’.

Notably, the Maldives government has now decided to remove the three ministers - Mariyam Shiuna, Malsha Shareef and Mahzoom Majid - from their posts. A Maldives government spokesperson was quoted as saying by local media, “All government officials responsible for the comments have been suspended from their post effective immediately".