India-Maldives controversy: Amitabh reacts to anti-India remarks by Maldives ministers; here's what he said

Amitabh Bachchan weighed in on Maldives ministers’ remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and India in a new post. For the uninitiated, a few former Maldives officials made disparaging statements against PM Modi and Indians in general over the weekend. They mocked the Prime Minister after he visited the Lakshadweep Islands and encouraged fellow Indians to visit the scenic spot. As part of his tour, the Prime Minister went snorkelling.

Following the comments made by Maldives political officials, celebrities such as Akshay Kumar denounced the remarks and encouraged followers to visit Indian islands. Amitabh Bachchan also got involved, promoting Indian islands. The celebrity responded to Virendra Sehwag's article on beautiful places in India that Indians should visit and praised the former cricketer. Big B also advised those criticising India not to call into doubt or threaten India's independence.

Also Read: Deepika Padukone celebrates birthday with paps; spotted with Ranveer Singh at airport [WATCH]

Viru paji .. this is so relevant and in the right spirit of our land .. our own are the very best .. I have been to Lakshadweep and Andamans and they are such astonishingly beautiful locations .. stunning waters beaches and the underwater experience is simply unbelievable ..
हम… https://t.co/NM400eJAbm

— Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) January 8, 2024

Following the comments by the Maldives political leaders, stars such as Akshay Kumar condemned the statements and urged fans to explore islands in India. Amitabh Bachchan also joined in and promoted Indian islands. The superstar reacted to Virendra Sehwag’s post speaking about picturesque locations in India that Indians could visit and lauded the former cricketer. Big B also warned those attacking India to question or attack India’s self-reliance.

“Whether it be the beautiful beaches of Udupi , Paradise Beach in Pondi, Neil and Havelock in Andaman, and many other beautiful beaches throughout our country, there are so many unexplored places in Bharat which have so much potential with some infrastructure support. Bharat is knowing for converting all Aapda into Avsar, and this dig at our country and our Prime Minister by Maldives ministers is a great Avsar for Bharat to create just the necessary infrastructure to make them attractive to tourists and boost our economy. Please do name your favourite unexplored beautiful places,” Virendra Sehwag had tweeted.

Amitabh Bachchan reposted and said, “Viru paji .. this is so relevant and in the right spirit of our land .. our own are the very best .. I have been to Lakshadweep and Andamans and they are such astonishingly beautiful locations .. stunning waters beaches and the underwater experience is simply unbelievable .. हम भारत हैं , हम आत्मनिर्भर हैं , हमारी आत्मनिर्भरता पे आँच मत डालिये जय हिन्द (We are India, we are self-reliant, do not harm our self-reliance Jai Hind).”

The Maldives' political leaders' disparaging remarks enraged India. PM Modi went snorkelling last week and shared his "exhilarating experience" of the Arabian Sea islands. According to Maldives Minister Abdulla Mahzoom Majid, India is moving its emphasis away from the Maldives by marketing Lakshadweep as another tourist destination.

Came across comments from prominent public figures from Maldives passing hateful and racist comments on Indians. Surprised that they are doing this to a country that sends them the maximum number of tourists.
We are good to our neighbors but
why should we tolerate such… pic.twitter.com/DXRqkQFguN

— Akshay Kumar (@akshaykumar) January 7, 2024

Also Read: Kerala: Actor Sreenivasan receives sacred 'Akshatham' from Ayodhya Ram temple

Majid said that competing with the Maldives in beach tourism presents substantial hurdles for India. This dispute comes amid tight relations between the two nations following President Mohamed Muizzu's November election.

Following the remarks, many Indians began to boycott the Maldives, pushing social media users to "Explore Indian Islands." Aside from promoting Lakshadweep as a tourism destination, some social media users suggested several additional islands that visitors may visit.

• Amitabh Bachchan
• India-Maldives controversy
• Maldives
• Bollywood