NEW DELHI: The Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs on Monday unanimously condemned the online abuse directed at foreign secretary Vikram Misri, news agency PTI reported quoting sources. The meeting, chaired by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, saw a record attendance of 23 members, including representatives from the BJP, Congress, TMC, AIMIM and others. Misri had briefed the panel on the military conflict with Pakistan in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack, including India’s retaliatory Operation Sindoor and the subsequent May 10 agreement to halt military actions across land, air and sea.Following the meeting Tharoor told reporters, “It was a very, very thorough discussion. There was even a desire to have a resolution expressing solidarity with the Foreign Secretary in the face of the unwarranted attacks upon him. He himself requested that there should be no resolution. It was the unanimous sentiment of the committee that he has performed good service for the nation, and we all stand with him.”As per the report, Misri clarified that the military conflict with Pakistan had remained within the conventional domain, with no signs of nuclear posturing by Islamabad. He also countered opposition concerns about US President Donald Trump’s claims of American intervention, saying pointedly that “the US President did not take his permission to do so.”Questions about Pakistan’s use of Chinese military platforms were also raised, to which Misri replied that it did not matter since “India hammered Pakistani air bases.” He also addressed concerns over Turkiye’s adversarial stance, saying the country had traditionally not been supportive of India.The foreign secretary had faced severe trolling since the ceasefire announcement, with personal attacks extending to his family. Several civil service bodies have since rallied behind him. The IAS Association posted on X: “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.” Similar messages of solidarity were issued by the IRTS and IRS (C&IT) associations.
