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As protests spiralled over derogatory remarks of a Maldivian minister against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs, Meenakashi Lekhi on Sunday said the former, through his recent visit to Lakshadweep, introduced the world to some exotic and virgin locales in India.
Speaking to ANI on Sunday, the Union Minister also called on fellow Indian citizens to choose top tourist destinations in the country -- from Leh-Ladakh in the north to Andaman and Lakshadweep in the south -- over locations abroad. "I am only looking at PM's visit (to Lakshadweep). (Through his visit to the Union Territory) He introduced the world to the beautiful places in India. If there's the Maldives, then Lakshadweep is also there...it is closer home as well. We also have the Andamans, Himachal and Leh-Ladakh. Indians have big hearts and are also well-regarded for their higher level of thinking. Hence, one needs to view India from a proper perspective to understand the country and what it represents," the Union Minister told ANI. On the disparaging remarks made by some leaders in the Maldivian dispensation, Lekhi said, "I don't care about that (what the Maldivian leaders said). We have to take pride in our history and steps to make India 'Atmanirbhar' (self-reliant). I believe that Indians should take more interest in their homeland and consider travelling to our tourist destinations as opposed to flying overseas." Meanwhile, senior Congress leader and former External Affairs Minister, Salman Khurshid, too, reacted to the controversy over the disparaging posts against PM Modi, saying everything could be solved through 'dialogue'. "We do not take forward the comments of people of foreign countries because it is a question of our national interest. Everything can be solved through dialogue," Khurshid told ANI. The development comes amid growing outrage over Maldivian Deputy Minister of Youth Empowerment, Mariyam Shiuna's post on X, making a mocking and disrespectful reference to Prime Minister Modi over his recent visit to Lakshadweep, which lies close to Maldives. The post by Shiuna, which has now been deleted, featured images of PM Modi from his recent visit to the Union Territory. Amid the uproar, the Maldivian government on Sunday sought to distance itself from minister Mariyam Shiuna's derogatory remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying her opinion does not reflect the government's views. The government added that 'appropriate action' will be taken against the minister, who is in the midst of a social media firestorm over her post. Posting images from his visit to the Union Territory on January 2, PM Modi also shared an 'exhilarating experience' of him trying his hand at snorkelling. In a series of posts on X, PM Modi shared pictures of the white beaches, the pristine blue skies and the ocean, and tagged them with a message that read, "For those who wish to embrace the adventurer in them, Lakshadweep has to be on your list." (ANI)
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