Several Indian celebrities and social media influencers have called for a boycott of the Maldives and its tourist destinations after some Maldivians, including a minister, posted anti-India comments on X (formerly Twitter). Participated in an online campaign asking for help. The origins of the ongoing conflict involving barbs, trolls and others can be traced to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Lakshadweep, which sparked interest in the Indian island among travel enthusiasts. During his visit, PM Modi inaugurated several development projects and also explored the beautiful beaches of Lakshadweep. A photo of PM Modi snorkeling in the sea went viral on social media and became the top trending item on X.
However, PM Modi’s attempt to promote tourism in Lakshadweep has clearly irritated some people in the Maldives, including government officials. In a now-deleted post by X, Maldivian Minister Maryam Siuna mocked Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Lakshadweep. Siuna was encouraging tourists to visit the island through the #VisitMaldives trend. Other Maldivian netizens also posted racist and insulting comments against Indians.
In response to the issue, some Indian celebrities and online influencers have joined calls to boycott the Maldives. The latest to join this trend is former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra. On Saturday, Chopra told Mr. I know he will. Jai Hind,” he posted. .
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Social media influencer Sonam Mahajan also appealed to Indian citizens to refrain from traveling to the Maldives following recent statements by the Maldives Minister.
“Dear Indians, please listen to the Maldivian ministers who desperately want Indians to leave. If you have any travel plans to the Maldives, please cancel them as soon as possible. Lakshadweep is waiting for you,” Mahajan wrote.
Another social media influencer tweeted a picture of sunrise over Lakshadweep and appealed to Indians to visit Lakshadweep instead of Maldives. Baba Banaras captioned the photo: “Sunrise at Lakshweep, India. You won’t see anything like this in the Maldives.”