Summoned Maldivian high commissioner shown the door just after five minutes

NEW DELHI: Minding the worsening bilateral relations with Maldives that spiralled over PM Modi’s Lakshadweep visit, India summoned the Maldivian high commissioner to the external ministry office in Delhi on Monday morning.

Maldivian High Commissioner, Ibrahim Shaheeb reached the external ministry building at 9:35 am on Monday. However the media was left stunned when Shaheeb returned from the building at 9:40 am, that is just 5 minutes after holding talks with the Indian officials.

MEA was forthright and told the high commissioner that it would be the sole duty of current Maldives president Muizzu to work on ways to repair the damages done between the two countries. The two women ministers who hurled abuse at PM Modi are close confidants of President Muizzu. MEA even assumed that the hateful comments from ministers were no accident but a message to India on Muizzu’s rare visit to China.

Maldives has now distanced itself from the hateful comments and has suspended the three ministers. However, the damage has been done and social media platform X is bustling with posts promoting Lakshadweep. Prominent Indian actors have also joined the bandwagon in promoting Lakshadweep tourism.