India and Maldives made headlines recently, not for their beautiful beaches, but for some not-so-nice words. After some Maldivian officials made negative comments about India and its Prime Minister. Many Indians, including celebrities and cricketers, decided to show their support for their own country and Boycott Maldives.
In a recent turn of events, Maldivian ministers sparked controversy with derogatory remarks against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The comments ignited a social media storm, prompting Bollywood stars and Indian cricketers to encourage people to explore India’s islands, such as Lakshadweep, instead of visiting the Maldives. The hashtag Boycott Maldives was recently trending all over X ( Former Twitter).
Popular Bollywood actors Akshay Kumar, Salman Khan, and John Abraham have joined the campaign. They are urging citizens to embrace Indian hospitality and marine life by choosing Lakshadweep over the Maldives. Renowned cricketers like Sachin Tendulkar, Venkatesh Prasad, and Aakash Chopra have also expressed their views, emphasizing the need to stand against unprovoked hate.
Akshay Kumar, sharing screenshots of the offensive remarks, questioned the Maldivian ministers’ actions. He stated, “We are good to our neighbors, but why should we tolerate such unprovoked hate?”
He called for supporting Indian tourism with the hashtag #ExploreIndianIslands.
Other Bollywood stars echoed similar sentiments. John Abraham highlighted the beauty of Lakshadweep, while Salman Khan praised the stunning beaches of India, expressing pride in seeing Prime Minister Modi at those locations.
Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar emphasized India’s blessed coastlines and pristine islands, urging citizens to explore and create lasting memories. Former cricketer-turned-commentator Venkatesh Prasad urged Indians to make informed choices, especially considering the Maldives’ previous support for the “India Out” manifesto.
A few days back, the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, shared images and videos of his visit from Lakshadweep.
In response to PM Modi’s tweet, the council minister of the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), Zahid Rameez, wrote, “The movie is great. However, the idea of competing with us is delusional. How can they provide the service we offer? How can they be so clean? The permanent smell in the rooms will be the biggest downfall.”
Former Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed condemned the offensive language and called on the government to assure India that such comments did not reflect official policy. Other former leaders joined in, emphasizing India’s status as a time-tested friend and unwavering ally. In a recent event, they also banned three ministers from supporting these derogatory comments.
