Suspended Maldives Minister Issues Apology
Suspended Maldives Minister Issues Apology – The now-deleted post featured a campaign poster of an opposition party, replacing the party’s logo with the Ashok Chakra. This happened in anticipation of parliamentary elections in the Maldives.
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Maryam Shivana, a member of the ruling party of Maldivian President Mohamed Moeizu, used her now-deleted social media post to advocate for a vote for her party. “The MDP is headed for a big slip. The people of Maldives do not want to fall and slide with them,” the post said.
The Maldivian minister’s social media post drew heavy condemnation from Indian social media users, who demanded President Moizu to take decisive action against Shivana. After the uproar, Shivana deleted the post and later issued an apology.
In a statement posted on X, Maryam Shivna expressed her deepest apologies for any confusion or offense caused by her recent post. He admitted that the image he used in response to Maldivian opposition party MDP resembled the Indian flag, which was brought to his attention. He emphasized that the similarity was completely unintentional and expressed his sincere regret for any misunderstanding it may have caused.
Shivana further emphasized that Maldives values its relationship with India and has deep respect for the country.
The incident took place against the backdrop of a diplomatic row between India and the Maldives, which escalated after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Lakshadweep in January 2024. The remarks by Maldivian officials, including Shivana, were aimed at India and the Prime Minister.
Despite strained relations, India remains an important economic ally for the Maldives. It serves as an important source of imports and plays an important role in supplying the island nation with essential commodities such as rice and medicine. Recently, New Delhi renewed the import quota of essential commodities for the coming year, highlighting the ongoing economic cooperation between the two countries.
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