In a major move during the boycott of Maldives on internet, EaseMyTrip has chosen to halt all reservations for flights to the Maldives in response to derogatory statements made by several ministers—who have since resigned—about India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his recent visit to Lakshadweep.
Co-founder and CEO of the Indian online travel business Nishant Pitti expressed his support for the country on social platform X, formally Twitter, writing, “In solidarity with our nation, @EaseMyTrip has suspended all Maldives flight bookings.”
EaseMyTrip launches #ChaloLakshadweep
EaseMyTrip, an online travel solutions company, launched the #ChaloLakshadweep campaign to visit Lakshadweep.
Nishant, Rikant, and Prashant Pitti started EaseMyTrip in 2008; the company is based in New Delhi.
Prashant Pitti stated in a post dated January 4 that “Water & beaches of Lakshadweep are as good as Maldives/Seychelles We at @EaseMyTrip will come up with crazy special-offers to promote this pristine destination that our PM @narendramodi has recently visited!”
The hashtag #BoycottMaldives gained popularity on social media during the spat between India and the Maldives, leading many Indian travellers to allegedly start postponing their planned trips to the island nation.
The ongoing conflict between Maldives politicians
Following a response in which India brought up the issue, the Maldivian government banned three deputy ministers on Sunday for making negative comments against Prime Minister Modi on social media. Male and the island nation’s leading opposition leaders also criticised the governing establishment for the controversy.
Modi’s post on ‘X’ after his visit to Lakshadweep drew criticism from the three deputy ministers, who suggested that it was an attempt to position the Union territory as a tourism destination that might rival the Maldives.
Deputy ministers in the youth ministry Malsha Shareef, Mariyam Shiuna, and Abdulla Mahzoom Majid have been suspended due to their roles, according to many Maldivian media sites that quoted officials. On the day when President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu left on a seven-day visit to China, the dispute broke out.
“All government officials responsible for the comments have been suspended from their posts effective immediately,” stated Ibrahim Khaleel, Maldives President’s spokesperson.
According to those acquainted with the situation, the Indian side expressed concern to the Maldives over the insulting statements.
Following his recent visit to Lakshadweep, Modi wrote on X about the “stunning beauty” of the islands and the “incredible warmth” of its inhabitants, saying, “For those who wish to embrace the adventurer in them, Lakshadweep has to be on your list.”
This prompted several social media posts urging Indians to visit Lakshadweep rather than the Maldives, citing the government’s pro-China stance in Male. Muizzu, who took office in November, also defied convention by saying recently that he will visit China before heading to India. Although New Delhi is normally the first port of call for Maldivian presidents, Muizzu paid his first bilateral visit to Turkey.
The ministers’ remarks have sparked criticism in India, with several celebrities encouraging travellers on X to visit Indian tourist spots instead of the Maldives.
Celebrities include actors Salman Khan and Akshay Kumar, as well as cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar, urged people to visit “Indian islands” and coastal spots.
In social media messages, Akshay Kumar, cricketer Hardik Pandya, former players Venkatesh Prasad and Virendra Sehwag, and others denounced the three ministers’ “hateful” and “racist” statements on X.
Maldivian Foreign Ministry statement:
The Maldivian foreign ministry stated that the government is aware of “derogatory remarks” made on social media platforms about foreign leaders and that these personal views do not represent the government’s perspective.
“Authorities in Maldives on Sunday suspended three deputy ministers who have come under fire for their posts on ‘X’ in which they are seen verbally abusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and India,” as reported by the Atoll Times.
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