The minister who became one of the main reasons behind the strained relationship between India and Maldives has apologized publicly for disrespecting the Indian flag. Mariyam Shiuna made a social media post in response to an opposition leader. The post had a symbol similar to the Ashok Chakra superimposed and it caused a big backlash from the Indians.
Mariyam Shiuna is one of the three ministers of Maldives who were suspended for making derogatory remarks against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The remarks led to a turbulent period for Maldives as its ties with India worsened.
Mariyam deleted her post after the backlash and also apologized in another post which she made on X. She said that the post was unintentional and she regrets for the misunderstanding.
Her earlier remarks on Modi led to a boycott of Maldives as a tourist destination by many Indians. All this started when Narendra Modi visited Lakshadweep and posted photos from there. Few ministers from Maldives felt that it can potentially hamper the tourism industry of the country as more tourists might head to Lakshadweep.
