‘Unintentional’

A suspended minister of the Maldives has apologised after her social media post against opposition party Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), which had a symbol resembling Ashok Chakra, sparked a row. "I would like to address a recent social media post of mine that has garnered attention and criticism. I extend my sincerest apologies for any confusion or offense caused by the content of my recent post," Mariyam Shiuna, who belongs to the same party as President of the Maldives, Mohamed Muizzu, posted on X yesterday. "It was brought to my attention that the image used in my response to the Maldivian opposition party MDP bore a resemblance to the Indian flag. I want to make it clear that this was entirely unintentional, and I sincerely regret any misunderstanding it may have caused," she added. "Maldives deeply value its relationship and, the mutual respect we share with India. In future I will be more vigilant in verifying the content I share to prevent such oversights," the former minister said. Shiuna's post had replaced a compass on an MDP poster with a symbol resembling the Ashok Chakra. The post came against the backdrop of diplomatic tensions between Indian and the Maldives after President Muizzu took over. The President has been insisting on the withdrawal of 80-odd Indian troops stationed in the island nation for humanitarian services. His tenure has also seen the Maldives' China outreach.