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Weighing in on the derogatory remarks by Maldivian ministers against Prime Minister Modi as well as India on social media, foreign affairs expert Robinder Sachdev on Sunday said the posts in question were "absolutely deplorable".
A massive uproar erupted after a Maldivian deputy minister, along with other cabinet members and government officials, made disparaging and unsavoury references to PM Modi's recent visit to Lakshadweep. Recalling the attempted coup of 1988, he said New Delhi sent its forces within hours in response to a distress call from the nation and the bid to take down the Maldivian government at the time was averted. Sachdev said India has also aided the Maldivian government and economy through rough phases, majorly by way of helping it leverage its tourism potential. "It is absolutely deplorable...There is one section (in Maldives) which is anti-India. India not only helps the economy of Maldives by aiding and enabling tourism but also providing them security," Sachdev told ANI. "I am reminded of 1988 when there was an attempted coup in the Maldives. India sent its forces and within hours, the bid to bring down the government at the time was thwarted. So for the national security of Maldives, India is the neighbour right across," the foreign affairs expert said. Underlining how India extended a helping hand to the island nation on numerous occasions, he added, "There were times when there was an acute water shortage in the Maldives and India sent an aircraft and our naval assets with bottled water." There was a spontaneous outpouring of anger after Maldivian Deputy Minister of Youth Empowerment, Mariyam Shiuna, took to her official X handle to make a mocking and disrespectful reference to Prime Minister Modi over his recent visit to Lakshadweep, which lies in the vicinity of the 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 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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