Vikram Misri, the Secretary of India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), has reportedly locked his account on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), following a surge of personal attacks linked to recent developments along the India-Pakistan border.
Misri, a distinguished Indian Foreign Service officer from the 1989 batch, assumed the role of Foreign Secretary on July 15, 2024. The decision to lock his X account appears to be a response to the rising wave of online abuse targeting him and his family after India’s handling of a ceasefire with Pakistan came under public scrutiny.
Political figures across the spectrum have voiced their concern over the treatment of Misri. Asaduddin Owaisi, President of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), strongly defended the diplomat. “Mr Vikram Misri is a decent and honest, hardworking diplomat working tirelessly for our nation. Civil servants work under the Executive and should not be blamed for decisions taken by political leadership,” Owaisi said.
Echoing similar sentiments, the Kerala unit of the Indian National Congress condemned the trolling campaign and alleged that Foreign Secretary Misri was being unfairly scapegoated. “He didn’t decide the ceasefire. It was the executive—Modi, Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, and Jaishankar. Now his family is being subjected to vile abuse, and he’s had to protect his tweets,” the party said in a strongly worded post.
This controversy follows a similar online backlash faced by Himanshi Narwal, the widow of an army officer, who was attacked by trolls after appealing for peace. The escalating rhetoric on social media has raised serious concerns about the politicization of non-partisan civil servants and the potential chilling effect on public service morale. Even Misri’s daughter was trolled by the people.
Foreign Secretary Misri brings with him a rich and varied diplomatic career. Apart from his roles in the Ministry of External Affairs and the Prime Minister’s Office, he has served as India’s envoy in key global capitals including Brussels, Tunis, Washington D.C., and Islamabad. He was also Private Secretary to three Prime Ministers—I.K. Gujral, Dr. Manmohan Singh, and Narendra Modi.
Born in Srinagar and educated across Jammu & Kashmir and Delhi, Misri holds a history degree from Hindu College and an MBA from XLRI Jamshedpur. Before joining the civil services, he worked in advertising and film production. Known for his deep understanding of foreign policy and fluent command over multiple languages, he is also a Fellow of the Aspen Institute’s India Leadership Initiative.
The incident surrounding his social media withdrawal has reignited debates about the accountability of the executive, the role of civil servants, and the toxicity of political discourse online—especially at a time of national security challenges like Operation Sindoor and heightened border tensions.
