External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj was trolled and abused on Twitter over a controversy involving the issuance of passport to an inter-faith couple.
Last week, a Passport Seva Kendra official, Vikas Mishra, in Lucknow was transferred after the inter-faith couple alleged that he humiliated them when they went to the office with their passport applications.
According to the couple, he asked the husband to convert to Hinduism and pulled up the wife for marrying a Muslim.
A section of social media attacked Swaraj and the ministry for taking action against Mishra, claiming that he was just doing his duty.
"Biased decision #ISupportVikasMishra shame on you mam...is it effect of your islamic kidney??(sic)" read one tweet.
However, the minister took it on the chin and retweeted some of the tweets that were even abusive and communal in nature.
"I was out of India from 17th to 23rd June 2018. I do not know what happened in my absence. However, I am honoured with some tweets. I am sharing them with you. So I have liked them," she tweeted.
The Congress came out in out support for Sushma and condemned the behaviour of the Twitter users who used foul language against the foreign minister.
"No matter the situation or reason, nothing calls for threats of violence, disrespect & abuse. @SushmaSwaraj ji, we applaud your decision to call out the heinous trolls of your own party," the Congress tweeted.
Many people tweeted in support of the foreign minister.
"Can you guys stop this nonsense for once and for all. She... did a lot for everyone irrespective of caste or religion. If you have any problem then there is proper way to communicate your message not like ill-mannered nuts," a Twitter user by the handle @teawithdev said.
Mishra had said in his defence that he was secular and had told the woman that her 'nikahnama' showed her name as Shazia Anas, which should be endorsed in her file.
"For this she refused. If she had consented... we would have sent it to the 'A' section for data modification. We have to see which person is taking the passport in what name. There is documentary proof, how can we ignore that. I am secular and I have myself had an inter-caste marriage," he told the media.
With inputs from agencies
