AN Indian online travel agency has said that it suspended all flight bookings to the Maldives in the wake of a row over controversial social media posts made by three now suspended deputy ministers of the Indian Ocean archipelago against prime minister Narendra Modi after his recent visit to Lakshadweep.
Nishant Pitti, co-founder of EaseMyTrip, on Monday (8) announced on X that the decision was taken "in solidarity with our nation".
"In solidarity with our nation, @EaseMyTrip has suspended all Maldives flight bookings. #TravelUpdate #SupportingNation," Pitti tweeted.
The row erupted on Sunday (7) when the government of the Maldives suspended its three deputy ministers after they shared the remarks against Modi on his visit to the Indian archipelago, located about 750 kilometres from the Maldives.
A spokesperson of the government confirmed this.
The move to suspend the ministers -- Malsha Shareef, Mariyam Shiuna and Abdulla Mahzoom Majid came after New Delhi raised the matter with Male over the issue.
Shiuna had called Modi a "clown" and "puppet" in now deleted posts on the social media platform after the latter posted pictures of his visit to Lakshadweep and praised the island as a tourist destination for Indians.
The tweets were withdrawn following a massive backlash from Indians.
In another now-deleted post, Majid said about Modi's visit, "While I wish success for India's tourism, targeting the Maldives so explicitly isn't diplomatic. India faces significant challenges competing in beach tourism, considering our resort infrastructure exceeds their total islands."
Many other Maldivian officials also mocked Modi's visit to Lakshadweep after the photographs gained a traction on social media, with many comparing it with the island-nation.
The Maldives government has rejected the derogatory remarks against the Indian leader, saying they did not represent its views.
Several Indians said they cancelled their trips to the Maldives after the row and started a campaign called '#BoycottMaldives'.
A new government took office in the Maldives last November under the leadership of president Mohamed Muizzu, who is seen by many as pro-China. He asked India to withdraw its military presence from his country's soil.
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