The Lakshadweep vs Maldives debate online has caused controversy after Maldives ministers insulted Prime Minister Narendra Modi in response to his video promoting Lakshadweep. The ministers called him a ‘clown’, ‘terrorist’, and ‘puppet of Israel’. This led to the #BoycottMaldives trend on social media, with many Indians promoting domestic destinations instead. As a result, travel platform MakemyTrip reported a 3400% increase in searches for Lakshadweep and launched a ‘Beaches of India’ campaign. Meanwhile, EaseMyTrip suspended all flight and hotel bookings for Maldives to show solidarity with India.
Source: Times of India/TOI