Maldivian minister shares distorted image of Indian flag, deletes it after backlash from Indian netizens

After making derogatory remarks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, suspended Maldivian minister Mariyam Shiuna yet again triggered a massive row for sharing a distorted image of the Indian flag on social media X.

Hours after she was called out by Indian netizens, Shiuna deleted the post and issued an apology.

The now-deleted post had featured the logo of the Maldivian Democratic Party’s campaign poster replaced with the Ashok Chakra of the Tricolour, hinting at the opposition party's close ties with India.

"I would like to address a recent social media post of mine that has garnered attention and criticism. I extend my sincerest apologies for any confusion or offense caused by the content of my recent post," Mariyam Shiuna, who belongs to the same party as President of the Maldives, Mohamed Muizzu, posted on X today.

"It was brought to my attention that the image 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 entirely unintentional, and I sincerely regret any misunderstanding it may have caused," she added.

"Maldives deeply value its relationship and, the mutual respect we share with India. In future I will be more vigilant in verifying the content I share to prevent such oversights," the former minister said.

This came months after she made derogatory remarks on Modi after his visit to Lakshwadeep, following which she was suspended after she faced severe backlash from Indian social media users.

The row comes amidst a diplomatic row between the two countries since November last year when President Mohamed Muizzu, known for his pro-China leanings, within hours of taking the oath demanded India to repatriate its 88 military personnel from his country.

Also read | Maldives issues warning after minister's derogatory remarks against Modi