Mariyam Shiuna, a suspended Maldivian minister, issued an apology on Monday following controversy over a deleted social media post that was seen as disrespectful to the Indian National Flag.
The post, which has been taken down, featured an opposition party’s campaign poster with what looked like the Ashok Chakra from the Indian flag on the white central band. The caption read, “The MDP is heading towards a big slip. The people of Maldives don’t want to fall and slip with them.” After facing backlash and outrage, Shiuna deleted the post and then issued an apology. In a tweet, she said, “I extend my sincerest apologies for any confusion or offense caused by the content of my recent post.”
She explained that the image used in her response to the Maldivian opposition party MDP bore a resemblance to the Indian flag, which was unintentional, and she regretted any misunderstanding it caused. Shiuna emphasized the value of the Maldives’ relationship and mutual respect with India, pledging to be more vigilant in verifying content to prevent such oversights in the future.
