Foreign Secy Vikram Misri Faces Abuse Over Indo-Pak Ceasefire, Daughter Targeted
The MEA FS faced online attacks following the ceasefire announcement between India and Pakistan on Saturday.
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Vikram Misri, Secretary of the Ministry of External Affairs, has reportedly locked his X (formerly Twitter) account amid facing a barrage of abusive messages and comments from online trolls.
The online abuse began after Pakistan violated the ceasefire agreement on Saturday night, triggering political backlash over the government’s handling of the situation.
Some of the abusive comments directed at Vikram Misri labelled him a "traitor" and "gaddar," accusing him of "selling the country." The online attacks included strong language and personal insults, with many criticising him for the ceasefire agreement that India did with Pakistan.
His family was also subjected to vile abuse, with particularly offensive remarks directed at his daughter, who has no involvement in his official duties.
For the past several days, Misri—along with Col Sofiya Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh—has been the calm and strategic voice informing the nation of India’s successful retaliation against Pakistan during Operation Sindoor. He also announced the Indian government's decision to agree to a ceasefire with Pakistan—an understanding mediated by the United States and finalised at bureaucratic levels well above Misri’s own.
Who Is Vikram Misri and What’s His Role in the India-Pakistan Ceasefire?
A native of Srinagar, Vikram Misri was appointed Foreign Secretary on 15 July 2024
His diplomatic career, which spanned over 3 decades, includes key assignments on the Pakistan desk at the Ministry of External Affairs and service on the staffs of former Foreign Ministers IK Gujral and Pranab Mukherjee. He has also served as Joint Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office and as Private Secretary to three Prime Ministers — IK Gujral, Dr Manmohan Singh, and Narendra Modi.
As the Foreign Secretary of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Vikram Misri came into the public eye due to his role in the daily government briefings following the launch of the military operation "Operation Sindoor," conducted on 8–9 May 2025 in response to the 22 April Pahalgam terror attack.
Misri represented the MEA in these briefings alongside the Ministry of Defence (MoD), updating the public on the developments and status of the ongoing situation between India and Pakistan.
During one briefing, he was praised for his response to a Pakistan Army officer's remarks about critical comments from Indians. When Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, head of the Pakistan Army's media wing (ISPR), highlighted Indian criticisms, Misri responded, "It may be surprising to Pakistan that citizens can freely criticise their government. This is the hallmark of any open democracy."
Owaisi, Congress Defend Misri Amid Online Attacks
Reacting to the development, AIMIM (All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen)'s President Asaduddin Owaisi came to Misri's defence.
"Mr Vikram Misri is a decent and an Honest Hard working Diplomat working tirelessly for our Nation. Our Civil Servants work under the Executive this must be remembered & they shouldn’t be blamed for the decisions taken by The Executive /or any Political leadership running Watan E Aziz," he said in a post on X.
Congress Kerala's official X handle also came in Misri's defence in a statement that read, "they're targeting Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, as though he unilaterally decided on the ceasefire, not Modi, Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh or Jaishankr."
Another Congress leader Salman Anees Soz said, "Vikram Misri, a Kashmiri, has done India proud. No amount of trolling can diminish his service to the country."