Boycott Maldives: Modi holiday snaps ignite row between India and island nation

Indian tourists threaten to stay away after critical comments made by Maldivian ministers

Malé, capital of the Maldives
The Maldives' economy relies heavily on Indian tourists
(Image credit: Matt Hunt/Anadolu via Getty Images)

The Maldives is facing a boycott by Indian tourists after three of the island nation's junior ministers made derogatory remarks about Narendra Modi's holiday photos.

The ministers, who have since been suspended, called India's prime minister a "clown", a "terrorist" and a "puppet of Israel", after Modi posted pictures on X of his holiday in Lakshadweep, an archipelago in the southern Indian Ocean. The comments caused widespread upset in India, with reports that "thousands of Indian travelers have canceled trips" and a major booking site has suspended flights to the Maldives, said CNBC.

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Richard Windsor is a freelance writer for The Week Digital. He began his journalism career writing about politics and sport while studying at the University of Southampton. He then worked across various football publications before specialising in cycling for almost nine years, covering major races including the Tour de France and interviewing some of the sport’s top riders. He led Cycling Weekly’s digital platforms as editor for seven of those years, helping to transform the publication into the UK’s largest cycling website. He now works as a freelance writer, editor and consultant.