Ever since Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Lakshadweep, a major uproar erupted in neighbouring Maldives, wherein top ministers are making insulting comments against the Indian leader.

PM Modi without mentioning a single word on Maldives praised the beauty of Lakshadweep.

However, several Maldives ministers took this as an offence and started pouring nasty remarks against Indians.

Several of the ministers even claimed that Indian beaches could not meet the cleanliness level of the Maldives beaches. 'The move is great. However, the idea of competing with us is delusional. How can they provide the service we offer? How can they be so clean? The permanent smell in the rooms will be the biggest downfall,"lakZahid Rameez, a Council member of the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) wrote on X.

Mariyam Shiuna, Deputy Minister of Youth Empowerment, Information and Arts, while commenting on the photos of PM Modi, dubbed him as a 'clown' and a 'puppet of Israel'. Her critical comments came as India has maintained good relations with Israel even though it is engaged in the ongoing war against Hamas. India, however, since the start of the conflict has helped Palestine, sending humanitarian aid and has actively advocated two-state solutions.

'What a clown. The puppet of Israel Mr Narendra diver with a life jacket #VisitMaldives,' Shiuna tweeted. However, she deleted the post soon after she got a befitting reply from the Indian users.

Mariyam Shiuna has now-deleted social media post where she made derogatory remarks against PM Modi.

The situation escalated after several Maldives ministers went on to claim that Indian beaches fell short of the cleanliness standards maintained by their Maldivian counterparts.

The controversy surrounding Shiuna's remarks has sparked widespread debate, with Indian celebrities expressing their views on social media.

Tensions in India-Maldives relations have escalated following the election of President Mohamed Muizzu who is known for his pro-China stance.