Esha Gupta promotes Explore Indian Islands amid India-Maldives tension following a controversial statement by a council member of the Progressive Party of Maldives, who mocked Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent visit to Lakshadweep and said India would never be able to compete with Maldives in regards to tourism.

Esha Gupta drops photo from Lakshadweep amid Maldives row

On Sunday, Bollywood star Esha Gupta took to her Instagram handle to share a photo of herself from her recent visit to Lakshadweep and wrote, "Take me back to the most beautiful beach, to the sand in my feet, to the sun on my face, to the magic which is Lakshadweep. Can’t wait to go back." 

Her caption was accomapnied by the hashtags Yeh Mera India and Explore Indian Islands.

What is the whole Maldivian row about?

PM Modi on January 4 visited the Lakshadweep Island and shared a couple of photos from his visit on his X handle. Sharing the photos, the PM wrote, "Recently, I had the opportunity to be among the people of Lakshadweep. I am still in awe of the stunning beauty of its islands and the incredible warmth of its people. I had the opportunity to interact with people in Agatti, Bangaram and Kavaratti. I thank the people of the islands for their hospitality. Here are some glimpses, including aerial glimpses from Lakshadweep"

In a series of X posts, PM Modi also promoted Lakshadweep tourism and wrote, "For those who wish to embrace the adventurer in them, Lakshadweep has to be on your list. During my stay, I also tried snorkelling - what an exhilarating experience it was!"

His another post read, "And those early morning walks along the pristine beaches were also moments of pure bliss."

Following PM's post, Maldivian politician Zahid Rameez took to his X handle and reacted to Modi's post. He wrote, "The move [promoting Lakshadweep] is great. However, the idea of competing with us is delusional. How can they provide the service we offer?"

This brought extreme criticism for the politician, who refused to tender an apology.

Celebs call out Maldives, promote Indian beaches

Following the controversy, Indian celebs like Akshay Kumar, John Abraham and Esha Gupta took to their social media handles to support India and call out Maldives.