Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar, who never shies away from putting forward his view, took to X to condemn the derogatory comments from prominent public figures of Maldives.
"Came across comments from prominent public figures from Maldives passing hateful and racist comments on Indians. Surprised that they are doing this to a country that sends them the maximum number of tourists. We are good to our neighbors but why should we tolerate such unprovoked hate? I've visited the Maldives many times and always praised it, but dignity first. Let us decide to #ExploreIndianIslands and support our own tourism," Kumar posted on X.
Akshay rang the New Year with his entire family in the Maldives.
Praising the beauty of Lakshadweep, actor Salman Khan wrote, "It is so cool to see our Hon PM Narendrabhai Modi at the beautiful clean n stunning beaches of Lakshadweep, and the best part is that yeh hamare India mein hain."
Actress Shraddha Kapoor praised the pristine beaches of the Lakshadweep. "All these images and memes making me super FOMO now. Lakshadweep has such pristine beaches and coastlines, thriving local culture, I'm on the verge of booking an impulse chhutti This year, why not #ExploreIndianIslands," she wrote on X.
The rift started after Maldivian Minister Mariyam Shiuna made disparaging remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Lakshwadeep.
Shiuna, who is the Deputy Minister of Youth Empowerment in the Maldives, called PM Modi 'clown' and 'puppet of Israel' on X. However, her post was quickly taken down from the site.
Reacting to the derogatory remarks, the Maldives government distanced itself from the controversy, saying,
''These opinions are personal and do not represent the views of the Government of Maldives.''
In a statement, the Government of Maldives said that it is aware of the derogatory remarks made by the minister on social media platforms. "These opinions are personal and do not represent the views of the Government of Maldives. The Government believes that the freedom of expression should be exercised in a democratic and responsible manner, and in ways that do not spread hatred, negativity, and hinder close relationships between the Maldives and its international partners," the statement said.
On Sunday evening, all the ministers were suspended by the government over derogatory remarks made about Indian PM Modi. Including Shiuna, two ministers Malsha and Hassan Zihan have been suspended.
In an official statement, Maldives government spokesperson Ibrahim Khaleel said, "All government officials responsible for the comments have been suspended from their posts, effective immediately."
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