"Preposterous": Shashi Tharoor To NDTV After Foreign Secretary Trolled

Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has come out in strong defence of Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, who has faced a wave of targeted online abuse following the announcement of the ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan amid simmering tensions. 

In an exclusive interview with NDTV, Mr Tharoor described the trolling of Mr Misri as "preposterous" and praised the diplomat's handling of one of the most tense moments in recent India-Pakistan relations. 

READ | India-Pakistan Tensions: Follow Live Updates Here 

"I think young Vikram Misri has done an outstanding job. He has worked very hard, very long hours and is an extremely hardworking and effective voice for India, along with the two women officers [Wing Commander Vyomika Singh and Colonel Sofia Qureshi] who spoke very calmly and professionally without any hysteria in a wonderfully impressive way," Mr Tharoor said. "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 or better?"

#NDTVExclusive | "Kinetic hostility not India's doing": Congress MP Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) to NDTV's @maryashakil pic.twitter.com/JgVBwmKNpb

— NDTV (@ndtv) May 11, 2025

On May 10, India and Pakistan announced a mutual understanding to halt all military hostilities on land, air, and sea with immediate effect. The ceasefire agreement followed four consecutive days of cross-border drone and missile strikes that had brought the subcontinent to the brink of large-scale armed conflict.

READ | Ceasefire After 4 Days: Inside Story Of How India-Pakistan Reached Agreement

The announcement of the ceasefire was made by Foreign Secretary Misri during a press briefing on Saturday evening. Mr Misri stated that the agreement was reached between the Director Generals of Military Operations (DGMOs) of India and Pakistan following a scheduled call on Saturday afternoon. He further disclosed that the next round of talks would take place on May 12 at noon.

The ceasefire declaration came shortly after an unexpected social media post by US President Donald Trump, who claimed the negotiations had been "mediated" by Washington. The Ministry of External Affairs did not respond officially to the claim.

Mr Misri found himself the subject of coordinated trolling on social media platforms. The attacks ranged from questioning his patriotism to doxxing personal information about his family, a move that has been widely condemned by civil society, political figures, and former diplomats.

"The IAS Association stands in solidarity with Shri Vikram Misri, Foreign Secretary, & his family. 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 Indian Administrative Service (IAS) association said in a statement. 

"The IRTS Association strongly condemns unwarranted abuse and personal attacks against Foreign Secretary Shri Vikram Misri and his family. We urge everyone to maintain respect and decorum, acknowledging his dedicated service and significant contributions towards the nation," Indian Railway Traffic Service (IRTS) said in a statement. 

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi also came out in support of Mr Misri. 

"Mr Vikram Misri is a decent, 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 posted on X. 

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said that such "baseless and hateful statements" demoralise honest officers who dedicate themselves to the service of the nation. 

"It is the government's responsibility to make decisions - not individual officers," Mr Yadav wrote. "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 and respect or discussing possible action against those who make such unwanted posts."

The Ministry of External Affairs has not issued an official comment on the trolling incident. However, multiple retired officials, including  veteran diplomat Nirupama Menon Rao, have voiced concern about the precedent it sets.