Since the 2023 Presidential Election in the Maldives, anti-India propaganda has been going on continuously in the archipelagic nation in South Asia, situated in the Indian Ocean. The propaganda started after pro-Chinese leader and head of the People's National Congress (PNC) Mohamed Muizzu (currently the Maldivian President) became a candidate for the Presidential Election. The European Union (EU) has made such a claim amid tension between New Delhi and Malé over three Maldivian ministers' insulting remarks about Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The Maldives held a Presidential Election in two phases in September 2023. Muizzu won the election, as he ousted former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih. Solih is the leader of the Maldivian Democratic Party.
In its latest report, the EU Election Observation Mission mentioned that the PNC started an anti-India campaign before the election. The Mission claimed that the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), which backed PNC leader Muizzu in the Presidential Election, openly spread anti-India sentiments.
It may be noted that former Maldivian President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom had founded the PPM on October 17, 2011. Gayoom, who served as President of the Maldives from 1978 to 2008, is popularly known as a friend of India. There was an armed coup against Gayoom in 1988. At that time, former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi sent the Indian Army to the island nation in order to save his government. Hence, the PPM's anti-India propaganda has surprised New Delhi!
Since becoming the President on November 17, 2023, Muizzu has taken a number of decisions against India. He not only sent back the Indian troops deployed in the Maldives, but also announced the cancellation of a four-year-old Water Agreement with New Delhi. The agreement allowed the Indian Navy to carry out hydrographic surveys in the Maldivian waters in order to aid in security and defence cooperation, environmental protection and scientific research.
In such an atmosphere, Prime Minister Modi visited Lakshadweep, a tropical archipelago of 36 atolls and coral reefs in the Laccadive Sea off the coast of the southern Indian Province of Kerala, in the first week of January 2024. Several images and videos of PM Modi's visit went viral on social media. However, three Maldivian ministers - Mariyam Shiuna, Mahzoom Majid and Malsha Shareef - called the Indian Prime Minister a puppet and a clown on social media. They also made offensive comments about India-Israel relations.
Among the hate comments shared on social media was one by Maldives' Deputy Minister of Youth Empowerment, Information and Arts Mariyam Shiuna. She wrote: "What a clown. The puppet of Israel Mr Narendra diver with life jacket. #VisitMaldives #SunnySideOfLife". Shiuna, in the now-deleted post, also compared India to cow dung. Her fellow Deputy Minister Shareef, too, posted similar derogatory comments against the tourism campaign for Lakshadweep and India.
Later, the three Maldivian ministers deleted their posts amid controversy. Initially, the Maldivian Government made an attempt to distance itself from the derogatory remarks made by its ministers. Maldivian Minister of Foreign Affairs Moosa Zameer said that these remarks against foreign leaders were "unacceptable" and did not reflect the official position of the Maldives Government. However, the Opposition leaders forced President Muizzu to suspend the three ministers. As the move has failed to stop the controversy, the Opposition parties have appealed to the Members of Parliament to remove Muizzu from the post of President.
Interestingly, tourism in the Maldives is heavily dependent on India, as a major part of their income comes from the South Asian nation. India covers nearly 11% of its tourism market. In 2023, more than 209,000 trips were made by Indian tourists to Maldives. Meanwhile, the derogatory remarks made by the Maldivian ministers have angered thousands of Indian holiday makers, who have cancelled their trips to the Maldives.
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