Maldivian politician Mariyam Shiuna apologises after ‘disrespectful’ post on Indian flag

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Apr 8, 2024

Maldivian politician Mariyam Shiuna apologises after ‘disrespectful’ post on Indian flag

Suspended Maldivian minister Mariyam Shiuna issued an apology on Monday following uproar over a deleted social media post allegedly disrespecting the Indian National Flag.

The post, which has since been removed, featured an opposition party’s campaign poster with what appeared to be the Ashok Chakra that appears on the white central band.

“The MDP is heading towards a big slip.

The people of Maldives don’t want to fall and slip with them,” the post read.

Later, due to backlash and outrage, Shiuna deleted the post before issuing an apology.

The Maldivian minister Mariyam Shiuna said in a tweet, “I extend my sincerest apologies for any confusion or offence caused by the content of my recent post. 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.”

“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 further added.

Mariyam Shiuna was among the “suspended” three deputy ministers for ridiculing PM Narendra Modi on social media for his recent visit to Lakshadweep, after the Indian high commission in Male registered a strong protest over the issue. Without naming the ministers, the Maldivian foreign ministry said in a statement that remarks “against foreign leaders and high-ranking individuals” didn’t represent the views of the Maldivian government.

The local media identified the suspended deputy ministers as Malsha Shareef, Abdulla Mahzoom Majid, and Mariyam Shiuna, who had described Modi as a clown and a puppet of Israel.