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Travel agency firm EaseMyTrip has suspended all flight bookings to Maldives on its website, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Nishant Pitti announced on Monday. The move comes close on the heels of the Maldives government suspending three of its ministers following a row over derogatory social media posts against Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his visit to Lakshadweep.
Nishant Pitti took to social media X, stating, “In solidarity with our nation, @EaseMyTrip has suspended all Maldives flight bookings.”
“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!” he wrote.
Ministers Mariyam Shiuna, Malsha Shareef and Mahzoom Majid were suspended with immediate effect, hours after the Maldives government distanced itself from the remarks made by the ministers and MPs who joined a social media spat over Lakshadweep vs Maldives.
Speaking of PM Modi’s bid to promote Lakshadweep as a tourist destination, Maldivian MP Zahid Rameez had remarked, “The initiative is commendable. However, attempting to compete with us is unrealistic. How can they match our level of service? How can their standards match our cleanliness? The persisting room odour will be their biggest drawback.”
In addition to Rameez’s comments, Minister Shiuna made derogatory statements about Modi, labelling the Prime Minister as a “clown” and a “puppet.”
In New Delhi, official sources said the Indian High Commission in Male strongly raised the matter with the Maldivian foreign ministry.
“Our high commission in the Maldives had strongly raised and expressed concerns about the comments made in regard to the prime minister by certain ministers in the Maldives government with the foreign office today,” said a source was quoted saying by news agency PTI.
Meanwhile, numerous Indian celebrities also put out social media posts advocating for exploring domestic tourist destinations rather than visiting the Maldives.
Celebrities like Salman Khan, Shraddha Kapoor, Akshay Kumar, and Sachin Tendulkar urged people to visit “Indian islands” and coastal spots.
Cricketer Hardik Pandya and former players Venkatesh Prasad, Virender Sehwag condemned the “hateful” and “racist” comments made by the three ministers.
PM Modi visited Lakshadweep on January 2 and 3 to inaugurate several projects. During his visit, he indulged in snorkelling and shared images of his undersea exploration and early morning strolls along the pristine beaches.
In a post on X, the Prime Minister encouraged adventure enthusiasts, suggesting that a visit to Lakshadweep should be on their bucket list.
“For those seeking an adventurous spirit, consider adding Lakshadweep to your itinerary. My snorkelling experience during the stay was truly exhilarating, he wrote on X.
The controversy comes ahead of a visit by President Mohamed Muizzu to China on January 8-12. The newly appointed President has displayed a close alignment with China since assuming office just over a month ago. Soon after taking the top position, he had also called for the removal of Indian military personnel from the Maldives.
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