India and Maldives:- Pristine beaches in India and Maldives have emerged at the heart of a spat that has erupted between the two countries following derogatory comments posted by Maldivian ministers about Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and subsequent calls by Indians to boycott the picturesque archipelago as a holiday destination.

The incident comes at a time when Maldives is seen moving closer to China under President Mohamed Muizzu, who took office in November.

Modi, on a visit to India’s Lakshadweep islands last week praised the pristine beaches and posted photographs on social media platform X, formerly Twitter, of himself walking along the sand and snorkeling.

The islands lie about 200 kilometers from India’s mainland and are only visited by a few thousand every year. Modi said they should be on the list of “those who wish to embrace the adventurer in them.”

He did not mention Maldives. But his posts were apparently seen by some in the tiny country as an effort to draw Indian tourists away from its luxury resorts to the lesser known domestic beaches of Lakshadweep.

“What a clown,” Mariyam Shiuana, a deputy minister, wrote on X referring to Modi. She called him a “puppet of Israel.” Two other ministers also made disparaging comments.

The posts were subsequently deleted, the three officials were suspended, and the Maldivian government distanced itself from the comments.

“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 Maldives Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

It said that freedom of expression should be exercised in a manner that it does not “spread hatred, negativity, and hinder close relationships between the Maldives and its international partners.”

But that did little to allay outrage in India as the “boycott Maldives” hashtag gathered momentum on social media.

Several celebrities including Bollywood stars and prominent cricket players shared social media posts with another hashtag #ChaloLakshadweep – meaning “Let’s go to Lakshadweep.”

One of India’s leading travel booking websites, EaseMyTrip said Monday that it would suspend bookings to Maldives.

“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,” the company’s head, Nishant Pitti said.

Indians accounted for the largest number of visitors to Maldives’ tropical beaches last year, making up more than 11% of tourists. Tourism accounts for about a quarter of the gross domestic product of Maldives and is vital for the nation of half a million.

India’s foreign ministry summoned the Maldivian envoy in New Delhi to convey its concerns over the comments about Modi Monday, according to domestic media reports.

The controversy has erupted as ties between Maldives and India have come under strain since President Muizzu took office.

Muizzu is currently on a state visit to Beijing – he broke the tradition of newly-elected Maldivian presidents heading to India for their first foreign visit.

He had campaigned on an “India Out” platform saying that he would reverse his predecessor’s “India First” policy. Since taking office, he has asked New Delhi to withdraw a small contingent of 70 military personnel deployed on the islands to assist in maritime surveillance, search and rescue operations and medical evacuations. He has also scrapped an agreement with the Indian navy for a hydrographic survey and said he will review over 100 agreements signed by the previous government with India.

Analysts said the latest controversy will only deepen the strain between the two countries. “It will vitiate the atmosphere because it has been blown out of proportion by right wing media and social media in India,” according to Manoj Joshi, distinguished fellow at the Observer Research Foundation in New Delhi. “It is always better to take such comments on the chin and be mature because given time most of these countries return to India’s orbit due to the geographical linkages that make them dependent on their large neighbor.”

The last decade has witnessed a geopolitical tug of war between India and China for a strategic presence in the Maldives, similar to that seen in other South Asian countries such as Sri Lanka. These countries straddle vital sea routes in the Indian Ocean. VOA/SP