In an unexpected turn of events, the power of social media took center stage, transforming a routine Instagram post by Prime Minister Narendra Modi into a catalyst for a diplomatic rift between India and the Maldives. The controversy reached a new crescendo when critical comments from three deputy ministers of the Ministry of Youth Affairs in the Maldives—Malsha Shareef, Mahzoom Majid, and Maryam Shuina—went viral, adding fuel to the online fire.