Many Indians Cancel Maldives Tour amid Row over Island Minister’s Post

New Delhi: Amidst a heated dispute sparked by a tweet from a Maldives minister shortly after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the Lakshadweep archipelago, numerous Indian social media users are asserting that they have canceled their planned trips to the island nation. The controversy revolves around the minister’s tweet accusing India of targeting the Maldives and asserting that India faces difficulties in competing with the Maldives in the realm of beach tourism.

The tweet emerged following PM Modi’s widely circulated posts on X (formerly Twitter) detailing his experience snorkelling in the Lakshadweep. This led Indian social media users to propose the island Union Territory as an alternative tourist destination to the Maldives.

Recent months have witnessed strained relations between India and the Maldives, particularly after President Mohamed Muizzu assumed office. Social media is flooded with purported screenshots of canceled air travel and hotel bookings, and the hashtag ‘#BoycottMaldives’ has gained prominence on X in India.

President Muizzu, who took office in November 2023, pledged during his election to reduce the presence of approximately 75 Indian military personnel in the Maldives and revise the nation’s “India first” policy. Scheduled to visit China on Monday, President Muizzu received an invitation from Chinese President Xi Jinping, as announced by China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying on Friday.