Former Maldives minister Mariyam Shiuna has apologised following a controversy over a social post she made against the Opposition using a symbol that resembled India’s Ashok Chakra.
Shiuna wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, “I would like to address a recent social media post of mine that has garnered attention and criticism. 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,” she added.
Shiuna, who is a member of Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu’s party, had used an Ashoka Chakra-like symbol to replace the compass on an MDP poster, along with a plea to vote for her party in the upcoming Maldivian elections.
“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,” the ex-MP noted.
This is not the first time she has been in the news for the wrong reasons. She was one of the three ministers who were suspended for making derogatory remarks about Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the people of India.
Back then, Shiuna had called PM Modi a “clown” and “puppet” after the Modi posted pictures of his visit to Lakshadweep and pitched the island as a tourist destination for Indians. She had subsequently deleted the posts following the backlash.
Ties between both the countries have nosedived over the past year with Male asking New Delhi to withdraw its military personnel from the Maldives in March. Recently, Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu said on Tuesday that Indian troops “stationed on the second platform will be withdrawn within the current month”.
