Suspended Maldives minister Mariyam Shiuna has apologised after a social media post, in which she shared an image that allegedly disrespected the Indian Tricolour (India’s National Flag) sparked outrage.
The post which has since been deleted, showed an opposition party campaign poster, where the Tricolour has been replaced by the Ashok Chakra, ahead of the parliamentary elections in the island nation.
Mariyam Shiuna belongs to the party of Mohamed Muizzu and now used her deleted social media post to call for a vote for the party. “The MDP is heading towards a big slip. The people of the Maldives don’t want to slip and fall with them,” read the post.
The Maldives minister post has triggered several backlashes from Indian social media users, who stridently called for President Mohamed Muizzu to take stern action against Mariyam Shiuna. In the wake of the furore, she deleted the post before tendering an apology.
“I extend my sincerest apologies for any confusion or offence caused by the content of my recent post. It was brought to my attention that the image used in my response to the Maldivian Democratic Party (opposition) bore a resemblance to the Indian flag. I want to make it clear that this was entirely unintentional and I sincerely regret any misunderstanding it may have caused,” she said. Shiuna added that Maldives deeply values its relationship with India and respects the country.
The incident comes amidst a diplomatic row between India and the Maldives, which began after Indian PM Narendra Modi visited the Union Territory of Lakshadweep Islands in January 2024. During his visit, PM Modi promoted Lakshadweep’s beauty on social media, leading to disparaging remarks from Maldivian ministers which also included Shiuna towards India and PM Modi.
Despite the tensions, India remains a crucial partner of the Maldives (economic partner) serving as a major source of imports and a key provider of essential commodities like rice and medicine for the island nation. New Delhi recently renewed the quota to import essential commodities to Male for the coming year.
However, the recent visits suggest a growing anti-India sentiment in the Maldives particularly those who are on an India Out Campaign, due to the concerns about India’s military presence and influence. Meanwhile, China continues to increase its investment and influence in the Maldives, which is a great concern for India.
The Maldives recently requested the withdrawal of Indian military personnel there sparking discussions between the two nations towards finding a mutually workable situation. Last month, the first batch of Indian personnel exited the Maldives, with thr deadline for complete withdrawal set for the month of May 2024.
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