Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s tweets from Lakshadweep were read as a signal by some Indians to choose the archipelago as a local vacation spot. Photo: punit paranjpe/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images
When Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted pictures of himself relaxing on the pristine beaches of a tiny Indian archipelago this month, he triggered a spat with a favored destination of Indians seeking an island break: the Maldives.
The images came days after Indian media reported that the newly elected president of the Maldives would visit Beijing instead of giving priority to New Delhi, which traditionally has closer diplomatic ties to the Maldives.