Respect India at all times, Nasheed tells Maldives leaders

India is a friend of Maldives and should always be respected, former President Mohamed Nasheed has said.

A video of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Lakshadweep to promote tourism in the region has sparked a social media feud between the two countries.

Nasheed in a post on 'X' on Thursday said that the people of Maldives have “achieved self rule for centuries because we are tactful and strategic” and that it was not achieved by force.

The Maldives-India issue has heated up and affected relations between the two countries, and Nasheed says that if our leaders lack the foresight and would “go stomping about beating their chest”, then Maldives will suffer.

“India is our neighbour and friend. We should afford India respect at all times" Nasheed said.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi does not mention Maldives in the video. However, some Indians started sharing the message and calling for Indian tourists to go to Lakshadweep instead of Maldives. Some people said that Maldives would go broke and starve then.

This ignited some tempers in Maldives, and in response, Maldivians also wrote various messages on social media such as X and Facebook. Three government deputy ministers mocked Modi and India and were suspended as well.