Former Maldives ministers hail ’age-old friendship’ amid row over ’derogatory’ remarks against PM Modi | Top quotes
Former foreign minister of Maldives Abdullah Shahid condemned derogatory remarks made against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi by Maldivian officials, calling for the government to reprimand them and maintain decorum in public discourse.
A massive row erupted between India and Maldives after a minister of the island country made some derogatory remarks against PM Narendra Modi over his recent visit to the Union Territory of Lakshadweep.
Maldives Deputy Minister of Youth Empowerment Mariyam Shiuna used words like ‘clown’ and ‘puppet’ for the Prime Minister of India. The remarks sparked huge outrage in India with people calling for boycotting traveling to Maldives for its anti-India stand.
India raised concerns over the remarks against the Indian Prime Minister and diplomatic channels are communicating India's position with the officials of Maldives.
‘Hateful language used against India’
The remarks by Mariyam Shiuna were not taken well by the domestic political circles of Maldives with former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih condemning the “hateful" language used against India.
"I condemn the use of hateful language against India by Maldivian government officials on social media. India has always been a good friend to Maldives and we must not allow such callous remarks to negatively impact the age-old friendship between our two countries..." Ibrahim Mohamed Solih said.
Former foreign minister of Maldives Abdullah Shahid called the derogatory remarks “reprehensible and odious” in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
“I call on the Government to reprimand these officials. Public figures must maintain decorum. They must accept that they are no longer social media activists and that they are now entrusted with the responsibility of protecting the interests of the people and the country,” Shahid wrote on the microblogging site.
He said, “India is a time tested friend and an unwavering ally. They have historically been the first to respond in our time of need. Our close relationship has been bound by mutual respect, history, culture and strong people-to-people relations.
Ahmed Mahloof, former Maldivian minister also expressed concern over the Indian Prime Minister, saying “I’m deeply worried about the escalating situation regarding the sensitive comments about our closest neighbor.”
“Indians boycotting the Maldives would have a huge impact on our economy. It would be hard for us to recover from such a campaign. I call on the government to swiftly take serious action to solve the issue ASAP,” Mehloof said.
He said, “We love India and Indians, and India will always remain our closest neighbor".
“As an ordinary citizen of the Maldives, I apologize for the racist comments by a few Maldivians towards Indians and Prime Minister @narendramodi,” the minister added.
Maldives MP and Former Deputy Speaker, Eva Abdullah also said, “It is absolutely critical that the Government of Maldives distanced itself from the comments by the minister. I know that the government has suspended the ministers, but I think it is important that the Government of Maldives issue a formal apology to the Indian people.”
“The remarks by the minister are simply shameful, racist and intolerable. The minister's words are in no way a reflection of the opinion of the people of Maldives. We're very aware of how dependent we have been on India, and that India has always been the first responders whenever we are in need…,” she said.
Indian High Commission takes up matter with Male
The Indian High Commission in Male on Sunday raised with the Maldivian government the issue of derogatory comments made against Prime Minister Narendra Modi by certain lawmakers, even as Male distanced itself from these remarks and asserted that "personal" views do not represent its position.
Sources said the Indian mission in Male objected to certain social media posts against the prime minister that came after he visited Lakshadweep.
A Maldivian lawmaker criticized Modi following his Lakshadweep trip inferring that New Delhi is attempting to project the Union Territory as an alternative tourist destination to the Maldives.
"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," the Maldivian foreign ministry said in a statement.
It said the government believes that the freedom of expression should be exercised democratically and responsibly, and in ways that do not spread hatred, and negativity and hinder close relationships between the Maldives and its international partners.
(With inputs from agencies)
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Business NewsNewsWorldFormer Maldives ministers hail ’age-old friendship’ amid row over ’derogatory’ remarks against PM Modi | Top quotes
First Published:7 Jan 2024, 08:25 PM IST
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