'Help India become a self-reliant nation': Meenakashi Lekhi on Maldives-India diplomatic row

Amid a diplomatic row between India and Maldives over disparaging remarks made by Maldivian ministers after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Lakshadweep, Union MoS for External Affairs Meenakashi Lekhi on Monday said that India has a diversity of places to visit and people of the country should help India become a self-reliant nation by choosing beaches, forests and mountains for vacations in the country so that the businesses of our fellow Indians grow.

#WATCH | Amroha, UP: On the Government of Maldives suspending three ministers who made objectionable remarks against PM Narendra Modi, Union MoS for External Affairs Meenakashi Lekhi says, "...India has a diversity of places where one can visit- right from coastal areas like… pic.twitter.com/cVS0HxjMFU

— ANI (@ANI) January 8, 2024

Speaking to reporters in UP’s Amroha, she said, “…India has a diversity of places where one can visit - right from coastal areas like Lakshadweep to mountains like Leh-Ladakh, to dense forests, and even world-class hotels. Help India become a self-reliant nation so that the business of fellow Indians grows and together, we make our country a developed one.” The government of the Maldives suspended three of its deputy ministers on Sunday after they criticised PM Modi for his post on X following his visit to Lakshadweep, inferring that it was an attempt to project the Union Territory as an alternative tourist destination to the Maldives. Maldives is a travel hotspot for Indians, with more than two lakh of them visiting it every year after the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the Maldives tourism ministry statistics, more than 2.09 lakh Indians visited the island nation in 2023. The number was more than 2.4 lakh in 2022 while over 2.11 lakh Indians flew to the Maldives in 2021. After the row, there were posts on social media claiming that some Indians are cancelling their scheduled trips to the Maldives. Hashtag “Boycott Maldives” was also trending on social media. EaseMyTrip on Monday said it has suspended all flight bookings to the island nation on its website “in solidarity” with India. The Maldivian foreign ministry said the government is aware of “derogatory remarks” made on social media platforms against foreign leaders and that the personal views do not represent the country’s position. Amid the row, many prominent personalities, such as cine stars Amitabh Bachchan, Salman Khan and Akshay Kumar and cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar, appealed to people on Sunday to explore “Indian islands” and coastal destinations. Situated in the middle of the Indian Ocean, the Maldives is home to nearly 1,200 tiny coral islands that stretch along a length of 871 kilometres. With inputs from agencies