Indian envoy meets Maldives foreign ministry official amid row, India calls it 'pre-arranged'

Indian High Commissioner to Maldives Munu Mahawar met senior Maldivian foreign ministry official Dr Ali Naseer Mohamed in Male on Monday amid a diplomatic row between the two countries over 'derogatory' comments made by a few Maldivian ministers against Prime Minister Narendra Modi

The meeting came just hours after Maldivian envoy to India Ibrahim Shaheeb was summoned by New Delhi.

The Indian High Commission in Male later posted on social media X that the meeting was "pre-arranged" to discuss bilateral issues, leaving little room for speculation.

"High Commissioner Munu Mahawar had a pre-arranged meeting with H.E. Dr Ali Naseer Mohamed, Ambassador at Large, at MoFA, Maldives, today to discuss bilateral issues," it said.

Earlier in the day, Maldives Envoy to India Ibrahim Shaheeb was summoned to the South Block, where India reportedly expressed strong apprehensions over three ministers making derogatory remarks against PM Modi and the Indian people.

Deputy Ministers in the Youth Ministry, Malsha Shareef, Mariyam Shiuna and Abdulla Mahzoom Majid, were suspended over their posts on January 7 for criticising Modi after he shared a few photos of his visit to Lakshadweep. They inferred that the Indian government attempting to project the Union Territory as an alternative tourist destination to the Maldives.

The Maldivian foreign ministry said that it was aware of "derogatory remarks" on social media platforms, adding that the personal views of these ministers do not represent its position.

"The government of Maldives is aware of derogatory remarks on social media platforms against foreign leaders and high-ranking individuals. These opinions are personal and do not represent the views of the government of Maldives," the Maldivian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Sunday.

Later on Monday, Maldivian Minister of Foreign Affairs Moosa Zameer said that these remarks against foreign leaders are “unacceptable” and do not reflect the official position of the Maldives government.

On X, he stated, “The recent remarks against foreign leaders and our close neighbours are unacceptable and do not reflect the official position of the Government of #Maldives. We remain committed to fostering a positive and constructive dialogue with all our partners, especially our neighbours, based on mutual respect and understanding.”