Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri Targeted By Online Trolls After India-Pakistan Ceasefire

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri has come under intense trolling on social media following the announcement of a ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan. The attacks escalated over the weekend, with several users targeting not only Misri but also his daughter, prompting the senior diplomat to lock his account on X (formerly Twitter).

Misri has been the public face of India’s briefings during Operation Sindoor, alongside Colonel Sofiya Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh. On May 10, he announced that the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of India and Pakistan had spoken and agreed to an immediate halt to all military operations on land, at sea, and in the air.

The announcement followed four days of intense cross-border missile and drone strikes, raising fears of a wider conflict. However, sections of social media users, upset by the absence of a military retaliation to the Pahalgam terror attack, began targeting Misri for his role in the ceasefire.

The trolling soon turned personal. Misri’s daughter, Didon Misri, who lives in London and works with international law firm Herbert Smith Freehills, was subjected to abusive comments and doxxing. Her old social media posts were dug up, and she was falsely accused of defending Rohingya refugees. Personal contact details of Misri’s family were also shared online.

In response, Misri locked his X account on Sunday to prevent further abuse.

The online attacks have drawn criticism from across the political spectrum. Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, speaking to NDTV, defended Misri, saying, “I can’t understand who on earth would troll and why? What could they be critical of, and what could these people have done differently?”
AIMIM chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi also came out in support, calling Misri “a decent and honest hard-working diplomat working tirelessly for our nation.” He added that civil servants function under the Executive and should not be held responsible for political decisions.

Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav accused the government of remaining silent on the matter. “Some anti-social criminal elements are openly crossing all limits of abusive language against the officer and his family, but neither the BJP government nor any of its ministers are coming forward to protect his honour,” he posted on X.

The IAS Association also issued a statement of support: “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.”
The Ministry of External Affairs has not yet released an official comment on the trolling incident.

Misri, a 1989-batch Indian Foreign Service officer, took over as India’s 35th Foreign Secretary on July 15, 2024. A native of Srinagar, he has served in various key roles, including as private secretary to three prime ministers — I.K. Gujral, Manmohan Singh, and Narendra Modi — and as Deputy National Security Adviser from January 2022 to June 2024.​