New Delhi: The Maldives Association of Tourism Industry or MATI has said it strongly condemns the derogatory comments made by some deputy ministers on social media platforms against India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, days after his visit to Lakshadweep.
The MATI said India has always been a “first responder” to crises throughout Maldives's history. "The Maldives Association of Tourism Industry strongly condemns the derogatory comments made by some Deputy Ministers on social media platforms, directed towards the Prime Minister of India, His Excellency Narendra Modi as well as the people of India. India is one of our closest neighbours and allies. India has always been a first responder to various crises throughout our history and we are immensely grateful to the close relationship that the Government as well as people of India have maintained with us," said MATI in a statement on Monday.
It also said India has also been a consistent and significant contributor to the tourism industry of the Maldives. “A contributor that has greatly assisted our recovery efforts during COVID-19, right after we re-opened our borders. Since then, India has continued to remain one of the top markets for the Maldives,” the tourism industry said.
It is our sincere wish that the close relationship between our two nations endures for generations to come and as such, we refrain from actions or speech that may have any negative impact on our good relationship,” it added.
The statement comes even as EaseMyTrip, one of India’s biggest online travel platforms, suspended flight bookings to the Maldives, amid a diplomatic row. Meanwhile, the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) on Monday called upon domestic traders and exporters to refrain from conducting business dealings with the Maldives.
Currently, the ties between India and Maldives are at the lowest after Maldivian President Muizzu came to power and because of his strong call for India out campaign.
Maldivian President Muizzu took over as President in November 2023. In his election campaign, he said he would remove a small contingent of some 75 Indian military personnel in his island nation and change Maldives's "India first" policy.
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