Male :  The Maldivian government on Sunday suspended its three ministers for remarks against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his Lakshadweep visit, local media reported.

The ministers — Mariyam Shiuna, Malsha and Hassan Zihan — have been suspended for their derogatory remarks against Prime Minister Modi on X, Atoll Times reported.

Prime Minister Modi did not even mention the Maldives while promoting Lakshadweep as a travel destination. However, the island nation’s irate minister declared: “India faces significant challenges in competing with the Maldives in beach tourism.”

Shiuna called Prime Minister Modi a “clown and puppet of Israel” in the post, which also included a video. Malsha also used satirical emoji when sharing Modi’s video on X.

Following criticism on X, where Indian social media users attacked Shiuna and other Maldivian government officials, the post was removed.

In a statement, the Maldivian foreign ministry said it was 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 statement read.

An official from the President’s Office confirmed the suspensions, but did not provide further details.

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