Megastar Amitabh Bachchan expressed concern over the attacks on India's self-reliance amid the social media dispute between Lakshadweep and Maldives that has escalated into a diplomatic conflict. On Monday, Bachchan voiced his support for promoting Indian tourism, particularly praising the Lakshadweep islands.
Bachchan re-shared a post by former cricketer Virender Singh on X, where he had praised many ‘unexplored places in Bharat’ which have potential to be a tourist hub with ‘some infrastructure support.’
‘Viru paji .. this is so relevant and in the right spirit of our land .. our own are the very best .. I have been to Lakshadweep and Andamans and they are such astonishingly beautiful locations .. stunning waters beaches and the underwater experience is simply unbelievable ..हम भारत हैं , हम आत्मनिर्भर हैं , हमारी आत्मनिर्भरता पे आँच मत डालिये जय हिन्द @virendersehwag,’ the megastar tweeted.
On Sunday, the Maldives government under President Mohamed Muizzu took action by suspending three ministers for making derogatory comments about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Lakshadweep visit and the people of India. These ministers criticized the PM's 'X' post, insinuating that it aimed to present the Union Territory as an alternative tourist destination to the Maldives.
Shortly after PM Modi’s visit, many Bollywood celebrities came out and supported Lakshadweep tourism, including Salman Khan, Shraddha Kapoor, Ranveer Singh, John Abraham, and Randeep Hooda among others.