Maldives govt distances from minister's derogatory remark against PM Modi, calls it ‘personal opinion’

The Maldives government on Sunday distanced itself from derogatory remarks made by its minister Mariyam Shiuna against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In a statement, the government said the ‘opinions are personal and do not represent the views of the Government of Maldives’. “The government believes that the freedom of expression should be exercised in a democratic and responsible manner, and in ways that do not spread hatred, negativity, and hinder close relationships between the Maldives and international partners,” the Maldives government statement added.

“The relevant authorities of the government will not hesitate to take action against those who make such derogatory remarks,” the statement added. A massive controversy erupted after Shiuna, the island nation's deputy minister of youth empowerment, made derogatory remarks against Prime Minister Modi, calling him a ‘clown’ and ‘puppet’ over his recent Lakshadweep visit.

PM Modi,(FILE PHOTO) Unlock a world of Benefits with HT! From insightful newsletters to real time news alerts and a personalized news feed – it's all here, just a click away! Login Now! Get Latest World News along with Latest News from India at Hindustan Times. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Share this article Share Via Copy Link ABOUT THE AUTHOR Shishir Gupta Author of Indian Mujahideen: The Enemy Within (2011, Hachette) and Himalayan Face off: Chinese Assertion and Indian Riposte (2014, Hachette).

Awarded K Subrahmanyam Prize for Strategic Studies in 2015 by Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (MP IDSA) and the 2011 Ben Gurion Prize by Israel. ...view detail Pm Modi.