Maldives Minister Regrets Disparaging Post 'Mocking' Indian National Flag's Ashok Chakra

A suspended junior minister of Maldives’ ruling party ignited controversy with a social media post, misusing elements of the Indian national flag to target the opposition party. The now-deleted post by Mariyam Shiuna featured a Maldivian Democratic Party’s (MDP) campaign poster with the party’s logo replaced by the Ashok Chakra on the Tricolour.

Belonging to Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu’s party, Shiuna used the post as a political prop, saying, “The MDP is heading towards a big slip. The people of Maldives don’t want to fall and slip with them.” This row came a few months after the same minister faced severe backlash from Indian social media users for hateful remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which later led to her suspension, along with two other deputy ministers.

Shiuna’s ‘sincerest apologies’

After the latest uproar over her post, Shiuna expressed regret for any confusion or offense caused. She clarified that the resemblance to the Indian flag in the image was unintentional and conveyed the Maldives’ “deep respect for 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,” she said in a post on X. “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.”

‘I will be more vigilant’

“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,” she added. Though Shiuna expressed regret, Indian social media users were outraged. The incident unfolded a few days after Maldivian Foreign Minister Moosa Zameer on Saturday thanked India for its gesture to renew the trade quota, allowing the export of certain quantities of essential commodities for the island nation.

“I sincerely thank EAM @DrSJaishankar and the Government of #India for the renewal of the quota to enable #Maldives to import essential commodities from India during the years 2024 and 2025,” Zameer said in a post on social media platform X. “This is truly a gesture which signifies the longstanding friendship, and the strong commitment to further expand bilateral trade and commerce between our two countries,” he said.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar responded to Zameer’s post, saying India stands firmly committed to its Neighbourhood First and SAGAR policies. Despite the strained relations under the Mohamed Muizzu government, India remains a vital economic partner for the Maldives, supplying essential commodities such as rice and medicine.