Maldives: Maldivians debate India's 'boycott' of their nation

In cafés and restaurants lining the narrow streets of Male, the capital of Maldives, the hot topic of discussion is how the spat with India got out of control - and what would be Delhi's reaction to it.

Following the "derogatory" comments made by three Maldivian junior ministers against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the tourism paradise is in danger of facing a boycott by Indian tourists - who are one of the largest contributors to the country's income.

Indians were the largest group of tourists by nationality that visited the Maldives last year. Tourism accounts for almost one third of the country's economy.

The ministers, who have since been suspended, had called Mr Modi a "clown", a "terrorist" and a "puppet of Israel".

The comments sparked outrage and boycott calls against Maldives on Indian social media .

The Maldivian foreign ministry put out a statement saying the comments made by the ministers were personal and did not represent the views of the government.

The Maldives consists of about 1,200 coral islands and atolls located in the middle of the Indian Ocean. The archipelago has a population of about 520,000 compared to India's 1.4 billion.

As a small island nation, the country depends on its giant neighbour India for most of its food, infrastructure building, and technological advancement.

Several residents in Male now say they are worried the diplomatic spat could hamper relations between the two countries.

"We were disappointed with the boycott calls [from India]. But we were more disappointed with our government. There was a lack of good judgement on the part of our officials", Mariyam Eem Shafeeg, a student at the Maldivian National University told the BBC.

Others point out that Maldives also has strong