Google search trends data show that interest in the two tourist destinations has spiked up significantly since the controversy erupted.

What Happened: The controversy arose when the three officials from the Maldives made inappropriate remarks on X (formerly Twitter), in reaction to Prime Minister Narendra Modi‘s posts on his official X account. Modi had been promoting the pristine beaches of India’s Lakshadweep archipelago as an enticing destination for Indian travellers.

Trends data shows that searches for the places have seen a surge in the past few days.

Some of the top related search queries for Maldives are “Maldives minister”, “maldives news” “Maldives tweet” and “Maldives Modi”.

For Lakshawadeep, top search inquiries include “Maldives Lakshawadeep”, “Lakshadweep flight”, “Lakshwadeep Airport” and “flight to Lakshwadeep”

The latest in the controversy is the action taken by President Mohamed Muizzu of the Maldives who suspended the three deputy ministers, namely Malsha Shareef, Mariyam Shiuna, and Abdulla Mahzoon Maajid.

This suspension, effective until further notice, comes in response to the deputy ministers posting derogatory comments against India, the Maldives’ closest neighbour and a vital source of tourism that greatly influences the nation’s economy.

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