The Maldives has suspended three deputy ministers for ridiculing PM Narendra Modi on social media after the Indian high commission in Male registered a protest over the issue. The suspended ministers, Malsha Shareef, Abdulla Mahzoom Majid, and Mariyam Shiuna, had described Modi as a clown and a puppet of Israel. The controversy comes amid strained ties between the two countries due to the Maldivian president's efforts to limit defense ties with India and strengthen relations with China. Former president Mohamed Nasheed criticized Shiuna's remarks and urged the government to distance itself from them.