NEW DELHI – Online hate and trolling forced Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri to lock his account on X after a ceasefire between Pakistan, and India.
In an alarming display of online extremism, Misri – the face of Indian government – was targeted by BJP-led social media users, eventually forcing him to lock his account on a microblogging platform after the May 10 ceasefire agreement between nuclear-armed nations.
The criticism started after US, under the leadership of President Donald Trump, brokered ceasefire between nuclear-armed neighbors, bringing an end to a brief but intense four-day military confrontation. Misri was swiftly targeted by far-right accounts accusing him of “surrendering” to Pakistan.
Despite his senior diplomatic role and critical involvement in navigating the crisis, Misri received no public backing from senior government figures. Neither External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar nor any other cabinet member condemned the attacks.
Not only Misri face the wrath of religious nationalism in India but his daughter also comes under fire. Trolls falsely accused her of aiding Rohingya Muslims, and used this to question Misri’s loyalty to the South Asian nation.
The targeting of top diplomat raised concerns over the growing influence of extremist voices on foreign policy discourse and the vulnerability of even high-ranking officials to coordinated online harassment campaigns.
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