Last week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was found sauntering along the white sands of Lakshadweep Islands in a move to boost tourism at the place. Soon after, the Prime Minister was in the eye of a storm on platfrom X when a Maldivian minister took to the platform and tweeted indignities about him. Officials were soon suspended in the Maldivian ministry and the tweet deleted. In between the spat, Indian online travel agency EaseMyTrip announced on Monday that it has suspended all flight bookings to Maldives.
Amid this row of tourism politics, confusions ensued with locals of Maldives taking a harsh stance towards the inbound tourism from India. On the other hand, bolstering Modi's move to promote local destinations, celebrities took to platform X to highlight the many beach locations within India.
Actor Akshay Kumar tweeted his support and preference for Indian destinations highlighting the "unprovoked hate" from Maldives.
In addition, actress Shraddha Kapoor joined the #ExploreIndianIslands and tweeted a beautiful picture of Lakshadweep showing her support for Indian beach destinations. She stressed on the prisitne beauty of the place stating her intent on taking a vacation on the islands soon out of FOMO (fear of missing out).
Furthermore, the mega star Salman Khan took a stern tone over the unprovoked fiasco and showed his support for Modi's move to improve national destinations for tourism. He also stated his preference for the Lakshadweep Islands on account of its cleanliness and natural beauty.
In his turn, action star and biking afficionado John Abraham extended his tweet to remind people of the old Indian hospitality in the phrase of "Atithi Devo Bhava" and stated his unthinking choice, saying "Lakshadweep is the place to go."
Many more celebrities and public figures also tweeted about the event all showing their indiscriminate support for the Indian beaches. While Tiger Shroff confessed how Lakshadweep captured his heart, cricketer Venkatesh Prasad deplored the hate from Maldives. Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar also came out and highlighted the coastal offerings of Maharashtra. Hardik Pandya expressed his disappointment about the fiasco and said he found the situation "extremely sad" to begin with. Randeep Hooda also joined the bandwagon and shared his lovely experiences at the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Agatti is a 7.6 km long island on a coral atoll known as Agatti Atoll. It's famous for its stunning beaches, ideal for water sports and sunbathing. The coral reefs surrounding Agatti are full of colourful marine life, perfect for snorkelling and scuba diving. The island is abundant in coral growths and multicoloured coral fishes in lagoons. Fishing is the primary industry, and it's the only island besides Minicoy that gets a surplus of fish.
Kavaratti is a tropical island with white sand beaches and a stunning aquarium that showcases exotic marine species. Another popular attraction is the Ujra Mosque, known for its exquisite architecture and peaceful surroundings.
Bangaram is a teardrop-shaped atoll in the Union Territory of Lakshadweep, India. It is approximately 7 kilometres northeast of Agatti and 25 kilometres southeast of Perumal Par. Bangaram Island is a perfect destination for water sports enthusiasts, as it offers a range of activities such as kayaking, windsurfing, and deep-sea fishing. Visitors can enjoy the lush greenery and coconut groves while strolling on nature trails. The best time to visit is during the monsoon and winter seasons.
Minicoy Island, also known as Maliku, is a census town in the Indian union territory of Lakshadweep known for coral reefs, white sand beaches, and a linguistic minority that speaks Mahal. It is located 200 km south of the northern group of islands and has an estimated population of 14,300. The Minicoy Lighthouse offers stunning panoramic views.