January 7, 2024: The Maldives government on Sunday suspended two ministers after they shared derogatory remarks against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on social media. The suspended ministers are Mariyam Shiuna, Malsha and Hassan Zihan.

Shiuna, the Deputy Minister of Youth Empowerment, Information and Arts, had called PM Modi a "clown" and "puppet" on X after the Prime Minister posted pictures of his visit to Lakshadweep and pitched the island as a tourist destination for Indians. Apart from Shiuna, other Maldives leaders mocked PM Modi’s photographs which gained wide attention on social media, with many comparing it to the Maldives.

However, the tweets were later taken down after backlash on the micro-blogging site.

Amid the row over Maldives ministers' remarks, many Bollywood celebrities such as Akshay Kumar, Salman Khan, John Abraham, Shraddha Kapoor, Kangana Ranaut have also joined the discussion over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Lakshadweep.