'There Will Be Natural Consequences': Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri On Maldives Row

Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri addressed the recent India-Maldives row, stating that "there will be natural consequences" following any remarks made against India.

File Photo Of Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri ( Image Source :Getty Images )

Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri addressed the recent India-Maldives tensions on Tuesday, stating that "there will be natural consequences" following any remarks made against India. Puri further said that the matter should not be taken seriously.

"As far as Maldives is concerned, I think what the Prime Minister did was to take a walk and enjoyed the pristine waters of Lakshwadeep. If anybody says anything about India, there will be natural consequences," the Union Minister was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. 

#WATCH | On India-Maldives row, Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri says, "As far as Maldives is concerned, I think what the Prime Minister did was to take a walk and enjoyed the pristine waters of Lakshwadeep. If anybody says anything about India, there will be natural… pic.twitter.com/hRZaik8IyR

— ANI (@ANI) January 9, 2024

In related developments, the search trends for beach destinations within India have surged significantly. Make My Trip's spokesperson noted a doubling of searches for top beach locations, with notable spikes in interest for Lakshadweep, Daman, and Andamans. Cities like Kochi, Gokarna, Puri, Visakhapatnam, and others in Tamil Nadu and Kerala have also seen increased search volumes.

We are recording an all-time high in on-platform searches for beach destinations in the country. Searches for the top beach destinations across the country have doubled in the last couple of days. Besides the high level of curiosity in Lakshadweep, Daman is seeing an increase in…

— ANI (@ANI) January 9, 2024

Meanwhile, the Maldives Association of Tourism Industry (MATI) released a statement condemning derogatory comments made by certain Deputy Ministers of the Maldives against India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This condemnation follows a social media backlash against the Maldives officials who made disparaging remarks after Prime Minister Modi's visit to Lakshadweep.

Tourism statistics from the Maldives Tourism Ministry indicate that in 2023, the nation welcomed over 17 lakh tourists, with Indians accounting for more than 2,09,198 visitors, closely followed by Russian and Chinese tourists. Previous years also saw significant Indian tourist inflows, with over 2.4 lakh visitors in 2022 and 2.11 lakh in 2021. Notably, the Maldives remained accessible to international tourists during the pandemic, attracting around 63,000 Indian visitors during that period.

Following the controversy, a considerable outcry emerged on social media, with calls to boycott Maldives tourism and explore domestic destinations instead. Reports suggest that some Indians have cancelled their planned trips to the Maldives due to the diplomatic tensions.