Actor Ranveer Singh deletes post on X after mistakenly sharing pic of Maldives to promote Lakshadweep

Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh on Monday found himself at the centre of a social media blunder. In an effort to promote tourism for Lakshadweep, Ranveer Singh inadvertently shared a picture of the Maldives instead. This mix-up occurred amid growing tensions between India and the Maldives, which were further inflamed by a controversial tweet from a Maldivian minister about the Lakshadweep Islands.

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The ‘Gully Boy’ actor's post was part of a larger movement by Indian celebrities and sports figures who were encouraging their followers to explore the beauty of India's own islands rather than vacationing in the Maldives. The campaign featured prominent personalities like Akshay Kumar, Varun Dhawan, Salman Khan, Shraddha Kapoor, Sachin Tendulkar, Venkatesh Prasad, and Virender Sehwag.

However, the actor's mistake did not go unnoticed. Social media users quickly pointed out the error, leading to a wave of trolling directed at Singh. One user humorously remarked, "So Ranveer Singh is using the pic of Maldives to boycott Maldives," while another commented on the irony of promoting Indian tourism with a photo from a competing destination.

"Ranveer Singh was using Maldives pic to promote Lakshadweep. He has now deleted the post. Moye Moye,” a third user wrote. "Ranveer Singh tried to promote Indian tourism by sharing a photo from.....the Maldives. The photos show islands Maalhos, Hibalhidhoo, and Dharavandhoo in Maldives," a fourth user commented.

Realising the gaffe, Singh promptly deleted the erroneous post and replaced it with a new one on the microblogging website, this time omitting any images. He reiterated his call to action, saying, "This year let's make 2024 about exploring India and experiencing our culture. There is so much to see and explore across the beaches and the beauty of our country... Chalo India let's #exploreindianislands Chalo bharat dekhe."

The controversy erupted following social media posts from the Maldivian ministers that drew ire from Indians, leading to cancellations of planned vacations to the island nation.

Tensions escalated when a Maldives minister accused India of targeting the nation, asserting that India encountered difficulties in competing with the Maldives in the realm of beach tourism. The remarks triggered a backlash on social media, with many sharing screenshots of cancelled travel and hotel bookings, accompanied by the hashtag '#BoycottMaldives' trending in India.

In response to the escalating situation, the Maldivian government has suspended the three ministers responsible for the contentious posts.

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