India and the Maldives have been at loggerheads with each other over the past few days ever since few ministers from the island nation insulted Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
India-Maldives row
PM Modi was criticised by the Maldives MPs after he posted several pictures from his Lakshwadeep visit which went viral on the internet.
#BoycottMaldives has been trending social media ever since the controversy erupted with several Indian celebrities, politicians and even sportspersons posting about the beauty of the Lakshwadeep islands.
Dhoni promotes Indian tourism
And now an old video of MS Dhoni from last month has surfaced online in which he is talking about his vacation plans post retirement.
Dhoni can be heard saying that his wife Sakshi Singh Rawat loves to travel and they plan to cover tourist destinations in India first before thinking about going abroad.
"I do travel a lot but not for vacations. I have not been on a lot of vacations, even during my cricket playing time mostly I would go to nations where cricket was there," Dhoni told a fan during an event.
"I haven't seen a lot. My wife loves to travel so now our plan is that we are getting some time off, we want to travel.
"But we want to start from India. We have so many beautiful places over here, I would like to explore them first before heading to different places," the former India captain added.
Social media backlash
#ExploreIndianIslands has surged to the forefront of trending topics on X, gaining momentum as influential figures like Sachin Tendulkar, Hardik Pandya, and Shikhar Dhawan encourage their followers to explore the beauty of "Indian islands" and coastal destinations.
However, the escalating tensions between nations have sparked significant concern among Indians, resulting in a widespread backlash. Many individuals are opting to cancel their planned trips to the Maldives, reflecting the growing discontent.
Maldives tourism taking a hit
Social media platforms have witnessed a flurry of posts suggesting that a considerable number of Indians are refraining from their Maldives travel plans due to the ongoing discord. The hashtag "Boycott Maldives" has gained traction, becoming a prominent trend across various social media channels.
In a noteworthy move, EaseMyTrip announced on Monday that it has chosen to suspend all flight bookings to the Maldives through its website as a gesture of "solidarity" with India amidst the current circumstances.
Maldives suspends MPs over derogatory remarks
Further complicating matters, the Maldives government took action by suspending three of its deputy ministers on Sunday. This decision followed their criticism of Prime Minister Modi's post on X, which occurred after his visit to Lakshadweep. The criticism implied that the post was an effort to position the Union Territory as an alternative tourist destination to the Maldives.
