New Delhi:
A suspended Maldives minister has apologized after her social media post against opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), which had a symbol similar to Ashok Chakra, sparked a row.
“I would like to address a recent social media post of mine that has attracted attention and criticism. I sincerely apologize for any confusion or offense caused by the content of my recent post,” said Mariyam Shiuna, who belongs to the same party belongs as President of the Maldives, Mohamed Muizzu, posted on X today.
“It was brought to my attention that the image I used in my response to the Maldivian opposition party MDP bore a resemblance to the Indian flag. I want to make it clear that this was completely unintentional, and I sincerely regret any misunderstanding this may have caused. ” she added.
“The Maldives highly values their relationship and the mutual respect we share with India. In the future, I will be more vigilant in verifying the content I share to avoid such mistakes,” the former minister said.
Ms Shiuna's post had replaced a compass on an MDP poster with a symbol resembling the Ashok Chakra. The post came against the backdrop of diplomatic tensions between India and the Maldives after President Muizzu took over. The president has urged the withdrawal of about 80 Indian troops stationed on the island for humanitarian services. During his tenure, Maldives also reached China. Shortly after taking over, President Muizzu visited Beijing and met with Chinese President Xi Jinping. On his return, without naming any country, he said: “We may be small, but that doesn't give them permission to bully us.” The comment was seen as a swipe at India.
With elections approaching, the Maldives president has struck a conciliatory tone, saying India will remain his country's “closest ally”. He has also urged New Delhi to provide debt relief to the Maldives, which owes India about $400.9 million at the end of 2023.
Against this background, the suspended minister's now-deleted comment appears to have put the National People's Congress in an awkward position.
This is not the first time Ms Shiuna has made headlines with her comments on India. Earlier, her comments on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Lakshadweep had drawn sharp reactions from former Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed.
“What appalling language from Maldives government official Mariyam Shiuna towards the leader of an important ally, which is of great importance to the security and prosperity of the Maldives. The Mohamed Muizzu government must distance itself from these comments and give India a clear assurance that they do not reflect on the government. policy,” Mr Nasheed had said then.
Shortly afterwards, Ms Shiuna and two others were suspended as ministers.