India-Maldives Row: What did Lakshadweep MP Faizal Padippura say about more tourists coming to archipelago?

Recently, diplomatic tension arose between the two countries after the objectionable statements of Maldives ministers on the picture of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Lakshadweep.

Along with this, campaigns to boycott Maldives and visit Lakshadweep have also started on social media and the number of tourists coming to Lakshadweep has also increased in the past few days.

However, amidst the campaign being run on social media regarding visiting Lakshadweep, the local MP Faizal Padippura has said that tourists cannot come to Lakshadweep in large numbers. These islands are not able to bear the load of many tourists.

Faizal Padippura said, “Lakshadweep cannot have tourism like Goa or Mumbai's Juhu Beach. Only controlled tourism can happen here. Control means that we have a capacity for people to come here. There is a limit on how many tourists can come here at one time."

Faizal said further, "Tourists who are coming to Lakshadweep also have to keep our environment in mind because Lakshadweep is full of corals and it has taken a long time to identify these corals. Corals are very sensitive and delicate.”

“That is why Justice Raveendran Commission of the Supreme Court had prepared the Integrated Island Management Plan,” he said.

The MP also said that the number of tourists in Lakshadweep has increased in the last few days, which will benefit the Union Territory economically, but these tourists are coming keeping controlled tourism in mind and every tourist should give consent not to harm environmental before coming. 

Earlier this month, three junior ministers of Maldives had given objectionable statements on social media about Prime Minister Modi, which sparked controversy. These ministers have been suspended. But on social media, a large number of people are running a campaign to boycott Maldives and are talking about going to Lakshadweep.