Maldives rolbacks

– The Maldivian government has distanced itself from derogatory comments made against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi by its deputy youth empowerment minister, Mariyam Shiuna.
– The government clarified that these remarks were Mariyam Shiuna’s personal opinions and did not reflect the viewpoint of the Maldivian government.
– Highlighting the importance of exercising freedom of expression responsibly, the government inferred such actions could potentially harm relations between Maldives and its international counterparts.
– The authorities assured punitive action against those airing derogatory remarks in the future.
– The dispute began post derogatory remarks by Shiuna on Modi’s recent visit to Lakshadweep, where she referred to him as a ‘clown’ and ‘puppet’. The post attracted major backlash on social media, leading to its deletion.
– The former President of Maldives, Mohammad Nasheed, condemned Shiuna’s comments, calling them ‘appalling’.

Historical pointers for IAS Aspirants:

– Relations between India and Maldives have been cordial and steadily growing since 1965, when the two nations established diplomatic relations.
– Both countries signed a bilateral agreement for cooperation in 1986, aiming at enhancing collaboration in various sectors.
– India also extended support to Maldives in global forums like the United Nations. Moreover, India has been consistently assisting the Maldivian economy through aid and lines of credit.
– However, there have been occasional tensions and instances of anti-Indian sentiment such as this instance reflects, which need diplomatic navigation.