India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri was forced to lock his X (formerly Twitter) account on Sunday after an onslaught of personal and political abuse from right-wing users, who blamed him for the ceasefire with Pakistan following Operation Sindoor. Despite Misri being the government’s spokesperson during the military standoff, no senior officials, including External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, have publicly defended him or condemned the trolling.

The online backlash erupted after Misri announced the ceasefire between India and Pakistan, which followed four days of escalating conflict, including missile and drone strikes launched under Operation Sindoor. While Misri presented a measured, diplomatic tone in public briefings, sections of social media called him a "traitor" for what they saw as a premature peace gesture.

Family Targeted Over Personal Life and Past Work

The attacks quickly turned personal. Trolls unearthed old posts of Misri with his wife and daughter, accusing him of “prostrating to Pakistan” and “throwing away India’s military advantage.” His daughter, a student who once worked with the UNHCR in Myanmar providing legal aid to Rohingya Muslims, was also vilified.

Political and Public Voices Condemn the Abuse

Several political leaders and commentators criticized the smear campaign.

• Asaduddin Owaisi, MP from AIMIM, reminded the public that civil servants act under the political executive and should not be scapegoated:

  “Our civil servants work under the Executive… They shouldn’t be blamed for decisions taken by political leadership.”

• The Kerala Congress unit drew parallels to the recent trolling of soldier Vinay Narwal’s widow for advocating peace, blaming BJP’s IT cell for creating a toxic atmosphere:

  “They’re targeting Misri, as though he unilaterally decided the ceasefire, not Modi, Shah, Rajnath, or Jaishankar.”

• PDP spokesperson Mohit Bhan condemned the online hatred, calling it the real threat to India’s democracy:

  “The abuse towards Vikram Misri and his daughter is an eye-opener… Right-wing hate engine is India’s real threat.”

Despite the storm, the Foreign Secretary has made no public statement since locking his account.