Amid the continuing calls to “boycott Maldives”, New Delhi and Male engaged diplomatically on Monday in both capitals with the Mohamed Muizzu government remaining in damage-containment mode.

The Maldives sought to assure India that the derogatory remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi by now-suspended ministers did not reflect the views of the ruling dispensation.

India fired the first salvo in the morning by summoning Maldivian high commissioner Ibrahim Shaheeb to the external affairs ministry to convey New Delhi’s concerns at the derogatory remarks.

Hours later, India’s high commissioner to the Maldives, Munu Mahawar, met the ambassador-at-large in the foreign ministry in Male, Ali Naseer Mohamed, triggering speculation that the Indian diplomat had been summoned by the Muizzu government.

However, the Indian high commission in Male officially clarified that Mahawar had a “pre-arranged meeting” with Mohamed. This had not been contested by the Maldives till late evening.

At both meetings, the Maldives — according to the Maldivian media — sought to assure India that the derogatory remarks did not reflect the Muizzu government’s opinion.

The “boycott Maldives” call seemed to be gathering momentum with industry chambers, travel sites and traders’ bodies joining in by the hour.

Celebrities such as Akshay Kumar, Salman Khan, Sachin Tendulkar, Kangana Ranaut and others have taken to social media to advocate the “Visit Lakshadweep” message in response to Maldivian leaders mocking Modi’s recent trip to the islands.

Nishant Pitti, CEO of travel website EaseMyTrip, wrote a post on X saying: “In solidarity with our nation, @EaseMyTrip has suspended all Maldives flight bookings.”

In another post, he said: “Embark on a journey with @EaseMyTrip to discover the enchanting beauty of Ayodhya and the pristine allure of Lakshadweep! Immerse yourself in rich culture and breathtaking landscapes. Say no to Maldives bookings and explore the wonders of Ayodhya and Lakshadweep.”

MakeMyTrip said it had observed a 3,400 per cent increase in on-platform searches for Lakshadweep ever since Modi’s visit to the islands.

“This interest in Indian beaches has inspired us to launch a ‘Beaches of India’ campaign on the platform with offers and discounts to encourage Indian travellers to explore country’s stunning beaches. Keep watching this space!” MakeMyTrip said in a post on X.

The Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) issued an “appeal to boycott Maldives”.

Travel industry veteran Subhash Goyal, who heads the ICC’s aviation and tourism committee, has appealed to all Indian trade associations to “stop promoting Maldives in view of the anti-India feelings expressed by ministers of Maldives”.

“Please divert all such queries to Lakshadweep and Andaman & Nicobar Islands which are even better than Maldives in many ways. Other destinations that can be promoted in the Indian Ocean region are Sri Lanka, Mauritius, Bali, Phuket, etc,” he said.

Goyal “appealed” to Indian carriers to suspend flights to the Maldives and asked Indian hotel companies to invest in Lakshadweep “for better returns”.

Goyal’s STIC Travels has stopped selling Maldives (packages, tickets, etc), he added.

Praveen Khandelwal, secretary-general of the traders’ body Confederation of All India Traders, urged traders and exporters to refrain from conducting business dealings with the Maldives.

“The appeal encourages traders to stand united in sending a strong message against such behaviour by temporarily abstaining from trade engagements with the Maldives,” he said.