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The Maldives government on Sunday suspended three of its ministers after they shared offensive remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his Lakshadweep visit on social media, a Maldives spokesperson said.

The decision to suspend ministers Malsha Shareef, Mariyam Shiuna and Abdulla Mahzoom Majid from their posts comes after India raised the matter with the island nation today.

Notably, Shiuna, had called PM Modi a “clown” and “puppet” in now-deleted posts on X after the Prime Minister posted pictures of his visit to Lakshadweep and pitched the island as a tourist destination for Indians. The tweets were taken down after backlash on the micro-blogging site.

Apart from Shiuna, other Maldives officials, including MP Zahid Rameez, mocked Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Lakshadweep after the photographs gained wide attention on social media, with many comparing it to the Maldives.

The Maldives government has rejected the derogatory remarks against Modi, stating that they do not represent the views of the Maldivian government.