Suspended Maldives minister apologizes for post resembling Indian Flag

A suspended minister of Maldives, on Monday, issued an apology after her post against opposition party Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), which had a symbol resembling Ashok Chakra caused outrage in 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.

A suspended minister of Maldives, on Monday, issued an apology after her post against opposition party Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), which had a symbol resembling Ashok Chakra caused outrage in India.

"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. 

In the now deleted post, the compass on an MDP poster was replaced with a symbol resembling the Ashok Chakra.

The Maldivian Minister’s post triggered a severe backlash from Indian social media users, who called on President Muizzu to take stern action against Shiuna. 

In the wake of the outrage, Shiuna deleted the post before issuing an apology.

"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.

The incident comes amidst a diplomatic row between India and the Maldives, which began after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Lakshadweep in January 2024. 

Meanwhile, the Maldivian President has also been insisting on the withdrawal of 80-odd Indian troops stationed in the island nation for humanitarian services. His tenure has also seen the Maldives' China outreach. 

In March, the first batch of Indian personnel exited the Maldives, with the deadline for complete withdrawal set for May by the Maldives. 

With elections approaching, the Maldives President has adapted a softer tone and said India will continue to be his country's "closest ally". He has also urged New Delhi to provide debt relief to the Maldives, which owes about USD 400.9 million to India at 2023-end.

Previously, Shiuna had made headlines for her remarks on India after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Lakshadweep. Soon after, Shiuna and two others were suspended as ministers.

Despite the tensions between the two nations, India has been a crucial economic partner to Maldives as a major source of imports and a key provider of commodities such as rice and medicine.