Backlash Deepens: Traders Join Call for Maldives Boycott Over Anti-Modi Remarks

In the midst of the diplomatic tensions between India and Maldives, on Monday, the traders’ body Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) urged domestic traders and exporters to abstain from engaging in business transactions with the island nation.

Praveen Khandelwal, CAIT Secretary General emphasized that the business community finds the offensive comments directed at Prime Minister Narendra Modi unacceptable. The call for a boycott is aimed at expressing solidarity and registering disapproval against such disrespectful behavior.

This comes after online tour operators like EaseMyTrip cancelled all bookings to Maldives and domestic tour operators’ association IATO said that there have been no fresh enquiries from Indian tourists about the island nation.

The CAIT has explicitly urged traders to join in this effort. Khandelwal said the appeal “encourages traders to stand united in sending a strong message against such behaviour by temporarily abstaining from trade engagements with the Maldives”

Khandelwal stressed upon the need for mutual respect in diplomatic discourse and condemned any form of disrespect towards the leaders of friendly nations.

Meanwhile, the Maldivian envoy to India was summoned to the external affairs ministry on Monday and conveyed strong concern over remarks of the three deputy ministers who criticized the prime minister for his post on X following his visit to Lakshadweep, inferring that it was an attempt to project the Union Territory as an alternative tourist destination to the Maldives.

The government of the Maldives on Sunday suspended three deputy ministers for derogatory social media posts against Modi. The disparaging remarks by the ministers have drawn flak in India, with many celebrities urging people on X to explore domestic tourist destinations instead of going to the Maldives.