"Shouldn't Be Blamed": Asaduddin Owaisi After Foreign Secretary Trolled

AIMIM chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi has slammed trolls targeting Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri following the government's announcement of the ceasefire with Pakistan. Mr Misri has been the face of the government in its briefings on Operation Sindoor. Along with Colonel Sophiya Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, the seasoned diplomat articulated India's position during the tense security situation.

"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," Mr Owaisi said in a post on X.

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… https://t.co/yfM3ygfiyt

— Asaduddin Owaisi (@asadowaisi) May 11, 2025

Earlier, Congress leader Salman Anees Soz came to Mr Misri's defence. "Vikram Misri, a Kashmiri, has done India proud. No amount of trolling can diminish his service to the country. If you can't say thank you, learn to shut up," he said.

Vikram Misri, a Kashmiri, has done India proud. No amount of trolling can diminish his service to the country. If you can't say thank you, learn to shut up.

— Salman Anees Soz (@SalmanSoz) May 11, 2025

In an interview with NDTV, former External Affairs Minister and Congress leader Salman Khurshid said the targeting of Mr Misri was "very, very sad". "We can say without hesitation that these three (Mr Misri, Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, Wing Commander Vyomika Singh) have been a remarkable face of our determination, the clarity of purpose, the determination and the sense of confidence they gave. There are people in the country who will troll anybody for decisions taken at a higher level and decisions taken in the enlightened self-interest in modern times. We are not a country of jingoists. We are a country that believes in protecting its rights and sovereignty, but also a country that believes in diplomatic interaction with the world," he said, adding that putting pressure on officers in this way was "very sad". 

Former diplomat Navdeep Suri said the trolling of Mr Misri is "shameful". "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," he said on X.

An alumnus of Delhi's Hindu College and XLRI, Jamshedpur, Mr Misri briefly worked in advertising before joining the Indian Foreign Service. He has worked in several Indian missions abroad and also in the Prime Minister's Office. He took charge as Foreign Secretary in July last year.

During the closely followed government briefings since Operation Sindoor began, the Foreign Secretary received much praise for his choice of words and apt responses to Pakistan's remarks.

In his response to Pakistan's proposal for a joint probe into Pahalgam attack, which left 26 innocents dead, Mr Misri said Islamabad does not a have "bright record" on this front. "We, in particular with regard to the Mumbai attacks of 2008, where a Pakistani Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist was captured alive; India provided extensive information and evidence related to the involvement of Pakistani terrorists in this attack. Cases were registered, but you are all aware that these cases have not progressed despite the formation of judicial teams etc., and Pakistan has consistently stonewalled all efforts to move the investigation along," he said.

Also, in a sharp response to a Pakistan Army officer flagging Indians' critical remarks against its government, he said such criticism is the hallmark of any open and functioning democracy.

Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, the chief of the Pakistan Army's media arm ISPR, was addressing the press when he pointed to remarks by several Indians -- politicians, social media influencers and the general public -- criticising the government's actions.

In his reply, Mr Misri said, "The Pakistan Army spokesman seems to take great joy at the fact that the Indian public should criticise the government of India with regard to various issues. It may be a surprise to Pakistan to see citizens criticising their own government. That is the hallmark of any open and functioning democracy. Pakistan's unfamiliarity with that should not be surprising."