NEW DELHI : CAIT National President B C Bhartia and Secretary General Praveen Khandelwal said that the offensive comments targeting Prime Minister Modi have been deemed unacceptable by the business community, and this call to boycott aims to express solidarity and register disapproval against such disrespectful behaviour.

Amid the ongoing diplomatic row between India and Maldives following the derogatory remarks against Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on social media by Maldivian ministers, traders’ body Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) on Monday has urged traders and exporters in India to “refrain from carrying out business dealings with Maldives.”

“While international relations must be based on mutual respect and cooperation, derogatory comments aimed at political leaders can strain bilateral ties. The appeal emphasizes the importance of maintaining diplomatic decorum and fostering positive relations between nations. The Maldives Government should tender an apology to India for the unacceptable utterances of its few responsible people,” said Khandelwal and Bhartia in a statement.