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Trolled for Duty: Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri locks X account amid right-wing abuse over India-Pakistan ceasefire

From grieving widows to uniformed officers and veteran journalists, a toxic online ecosystem—enabled by silence at the top—continues to vilify those who speak truth, show empathy, or simply do their jobs

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri was forced to lock his X (formerly Twitter) account on Sunday, March 11, after becoming the target of a coordinated wave of online abuse. The trolling came in the wake of India’s announcement of a ceasefire with Pakistan, following a tense four-day military standoff that had included missile and drone strikes under Operation Sindoor.

Despite being the public face of the Ministry of External Affairs during the conflict, Misri faced intense backlash from right-wing social media accounts who labelled him a “traitor” and accused him of “surrendering” India’s military advantage. These attacks came after he officially announced the ceasefire on the evening of May 10, and continued through the next day with personal, often vicious, trolling.

The abuse escalated as trolls dug up old posts of Misri’s family, specifically targeting his daughter, Didon Misri, who is based in London and works at the global law firm Herbert Smith Freehills. Her brief internship with the UNHCR in Myanmar during her law school years was misrepresented by trolls as “legal support for Rohingya Muslims”, with coordinated narratives accusing both father and daughter of being sympathetic to causes seen as ‘anti-national’ by the far-right. In reality, Didon Misri specialises in international arbitration and has represented the Indian government in several legal matters abroad.

Misri had been at the forefront of delivering calm and measured briefings from the Ministry of External Affairs throughout the Operation Sindoor conflict. He had publicly defended democratic values, saying that “criticising the government is the hallmark of democracy”—a position at odds with the aggressive nationalist rhetoric from BJP supporters and affiliated online influencers. As per the report of The Wire, Misri’s refusal to confirm unverified claims—such as the death of Jaish-e-Mohammed leader Abdul Rauf Azhar, which the BJP had already broadcast as fact— might have further enraged right-wing circles.

After the ceasefire announcement, Misri became the scapegoat for what many online trolls framed as a strategic retreat. Many media reports, including The Wire, Times of India, LiveMint, showed how personal attacks turned abusive, accusing him of jeopardising national security, “prostrating before Pakistan,” and even targeting his daughter’s career choices abroad. As the trolling crossed into threats and doxxing, Misri was left with no choice but to lock his account—a rare move for someone in his position.

The backlash has been widely condemned by the IAS Association, journalists, and opposition leaders, who have pointed to the dangerous precedent of targeting civil servants for carrying out official duties. Yet, top government functionaries have remained silent. Notably, at the time of the publishing of the present article, neither External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar nor Defence Minister Rajnath Singh—who posted multiple times about BrahMos and Operation Sindoor—have publicly supported Misri or addressed the abuse.

The government’s silence has drawn sharp criticism and raised serious concerns about its unwillingness to protect bureaucrats from politically motivated social media attacks. At a time when foreign policy decisions are being dissected in real-time on volatile digital platforms, the abandonment of a senior diplomat in the face of such vitriol sends a chilling message about the costs of public service.

Background: The ceasefire announcement

On Saturday, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri announced a significant breakthrough: India and Pakistan had agreed to a ceasefire across land, air, and sea following a week of dangerous military escalation involving drones and missile strikes. Speaking at a press briefing, Misri stated that the Director Generals of Military Operations (DGMOs) of both nations had reached an understanding during a phone call and that the next round of talks are scheduled for today, May 12. The announcement came shortly after US President Donald Trump posted on social media, claiming the talks had been “mediated” by the United States.

The outpouring of support

Political Leaders Defend Misri: The vitriol prompted an outpouring of support from across the political spectrum. AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi reminded the public that civil servants function under the executive and should not be blamed for political decisions. “Mr Vikram Misri is a decent and honest, hardworking diplomat working tirelessly for our nation. Our civil servants work under the executive—this must be remembered. They shouldn’t be blamed for decisions taken by the executive or any political leadership running Watan-e-Aziz,” he posted on X.

The Congress party’s Kerala unit also condemned the trolling, noting the pattern of hate attacks. “Last week, Modi bhakts launched a vicious character assassination campaign against Ms Himanshi Narwal… Now, they’re targeting Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, as though he unilaterally decided on the ceasefire, not Modi, Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh or Jaishankar… Modi is now grappling with the Frankenstein’s monster he created in the form of the IT Cell,” the statement read.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav slammed the government for its silence, writing: “It is the government’s responsibility to make decisions – not individual officers… but neither the BJP government nor any of its ministers are coming forward to protect his honour and respect.”

PDP spokesperson Mohit Bhan called the abuse an eye-opener, stating: “Calling this hate ‘nationalism’ is the biggest lie of our time. For a decade, patriots, soldiers, scholars, and diplomats have been attacked for rejecting bloodlust. The right-wing hate engine is India’s real threat, and this rot must end before it ends us.”

The video included in this post shows the kind of vile remarks that were made against Misri and his family.

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, in an interview with NDTV, called the trolling “preposterous.” “Young Vikram Misri has done an outstanding job. He worked very hard, very long hours and is an extremely effective voice for India. I can’t understand who on earth would troll and why?” Tharoor added that the dignified conduct of officers like Wing Commander Vyomika Singh and Colonel Sofia Qureshi should be celebrated, not attacked.

TMC MP Mahua Moitra posted on X: “Disgusting to see social media trolling of Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri & family—no professional diplomat doing his job should be subjected to this. Stand strong, Sir—not everyone in this country is as vile as AndhBhakts.”

Congress leader Sachin Pilot wrote: “It’s unacceptable to target our professional diplomats and civil servants — those who work dedicatedly to serve the nation.”

Support from former diplomats and bureaucrats: Former Foreign Secretary Nirupama Menon Rao labelled the attacks “utterly shameful,” noting they “cross every line of decency.” She defended Misri’s professionalism and condemned the doxxing and harassment of his daughter.

Former diplomat Navdeep Suri echoed this, saying: “It is absolutely disgusting to see the trolls target Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and his family. He has been a picture of professionalism—calm, composed, measured and articulate. But that’s not enough for the bloodlust of a section of our society. Shameful!”

 

Several senior bureaucrats rallied behind Misri. V Srinivas, Union Secretary of Administrative Reforms, praised him as one of India’s “most celebrated diplomats” who exemplifies a “Nation First” approach.

As per the report of The Indian Express, Srinivas Katikithala, Secretary of Housing and Urban Affairs and Misri’s batchmate, stated: “Highly regrettable that dedicated & sincere civil servants are targeted for performing their duties. His devotion to duty must be applauded & his family’s dignity must be defended.”

The IAS Association also issued a formal statement: “Unwarranted personal attacks on civil servants performing their duties with integrity are deeply regrettable. We reaffirm our commitment to uphold the dignity of public service.”

Solidarity was also shown by others:

Statements from civil society, media, and others: Prominent journalist Madhavan Narayanan recalled working with Misri during his stint in the Prime Minister’s Office under Manmohan Singh. “Pity that such composed career diplomats are being trolled for doing a thoroughly professional job. Something is terribly wrong somewhere in a country that cannot salute excellence,” he wrote.

Comedian and actor Vir Das commented: “Vikram Misri was amazing, so were Colonel Sophiya Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh. Anyone who thinks otherwise is a fool.”

Fact-checker Mohammed Zubair highlighted the organised nature of the attacks: “First they went after Himanshi Narwal… Now the same trolls are going after Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and his daughter, abusing and sharing her mobile number.”

A symptom of a larger problem?

The abuse directed at India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and his family is not an isolated incident—it is part of a broader and disturbing pattern of coordinated online targeting, often against individuals who speak truth to power, advocate peace, or simply fulfil their public duties with integrity.

Journalist Raju Parulekar summed it up starkly in a tweet titled “Time to Rethink”, where he wrote:

“India’s Foreign Secretary and his family are targeted by RW troll army. That’s not surprising, as the traits of the Leadership percolate. ‘Congress ki vidhwa’, ‘50 crore ki girlfriend’, ‘jersey gaay’ etc show a glimpse into the patriarchal, misogynistic and regressive mindset of Narendra Modi.

If he can say this despite occupying a constitutional office, the trolls working to bolster his image can definitely stoop to the lowest.

Hopefully, the Babus learn something from this. Their political master is not the man worth dying for. And he’s certainly not going to stand for their honour against his troll army.”

 

Parulekar’s tweet captures the climate of impunity in which online abuse flourishes—a climate set from the very top and maintained by a digital ecosystem that treats dissent, empathy, and professionalism as offences worthy of punishment.

The episode has laid bare the toxicity of online discourse in India, especially when it intersects with nationalism, diplomacy, and military matters. Misri’s abuse is not an isolated incident but a continuation of a pattern where professionals who speak or act in favour of peace are vilified by right-wing online ecosystems.

Kashmir Times editor Anuradha Bhasin and The Wire’s Arfa Khanum Sherwani both reported receiving rape threats for their public stances. Bhasin, whose newspaper has consistently upheld a no-war position and has extensively documented the suffering of people living near the Line of Control, found her X account blocked amidst the threats. Sherwani, a senior journalist known for her integrity, also faced a barrage of abuse intended to silence and intimidate.

Defence spokespersons Colonel Sofiya Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh were criticised by online trolls for allegedly “fumbling” during official press briefings. Several X accounts falsely claiming to be operated by the two officers began circulating soon after their appearances. The Press Information Bureau (PIB) was forced to intervene, publicly clarifying that both officers are not present on the platform and disavowing the impersonator accounts.

The widow of Lieutenant Vinay Narwal, Himanshi, also became a target after she spoke out against the communalisation of grief and the scapegoating of Muslims in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack. Her calls for peace and unity were met with vicious online character assassination, further highlighting the entrenched intolerance for dissenting or humane voices in a deeply polarised digital environment.

Together, these instances underscore the cost of empathy, integrity, and professional duty in today’s India. Whether one is a bureaucrat, journalist, officer, or a grieving family member—any expression that disrupts the dominant narrative risks being met with vitriol. In this environment, the state’s silence—or worse, complicity—only emboldens the attackers.

The refusal to hold those responsible for such coordinated harassment campaigns accountable raises critical concerns about the protection of civil servants, the weaponisation of digital hate, and the government’s unwillingness to condemn such behaviour when it comes from its support base.

As calls grow louder for action against the trolls, the dignified silence of Vikram Misri and his continued commitment to duty have earned him admiration from across ideological lines, proving once again that professionalism, integrity, and courage in public service still command respect.

 

Related:

Treading Carefully: Illusion of Accountability in an age of social media content creation

Censorship: The Wire, India’s credible news and analysis portal blocked, widespread condemnation

How Indian commercial media channels are using the provocative thumbnail to boost viewers and worse, provoke vicarious viewer response

Following executive order from government, X asked to block 8000 accounts in India

Pahalgam: Voices of peace and reason in times of war

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