Would've suspended you: Sushma tells man requesting for wife's transfer

Sushma Swaraj is known for keeping her cool and responding promptly to people’s grievances, but a request by a Pune-based techie for transfer of his wife from Jhansi Railway division so the couple could live together left the External Affairs Minister livid.

‘If you or your wife were from my Ministry and such a request for transfer was made on twitter, I would have sent a suspension order by now,’ Swaraj tweeted in a terse response to the request by Smit Raj.

Earlier, Raj, a software engineer, who goes by the handle @smitraj07, reached out to Swaraj requesting her for help to secure transfer for his wife.

‘@SushmaSwaraj Can u plz help us in ending our banwas in India? My wife is in Jhansi Rly employee and I work in Pune in IT. Been a year+ (sic),’ he had said in his tweet.

While responding to Raj's tweet, Swaraj also tagged Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu who in turn expressed his inability to help the man, saying only the Railway Board was empowered to take decisions in such matters.

‘Thanks @SushmaSwaraj ji for bringing it to my notice. As per policy laid by me, I don’t look into transfers. Railway Board empowered for same (sic),’ Prabhu, also known for his quick response to people's problems and grievances, tweeted.

Raj had also tweeted a document claiming that government rules promote posting of husband and wife in the same place while comparing his situation to banwas (exile), the term used by Swaraj while responding to a United States-based man’s request for granting his wife’s passport.

‘Ohh ! This banwas should end soon. @CPVIndia (sic),’ Swaraj had then tweeted to a request by one Sanjay Pandita.

He had earlier tweeted ‘@SushmaSwaraj @governorswaraj hello madam please help my wife get passport cleared. I am forced to live without her in US. Passport issues.’