The National Commission for Women (NCW) on Monday, May 12, condemned the cyber abuse directed at India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and his daughter Didon Misri over the India-Pakistan ceasefire. Misri and his family were subjected to a trial on social media platform X, with several netizens including right-wing supporters questioning their patriotism. The torrent of abuses forced him to lock his account, preventing others from accessing his tweets.
In a statement, NCW chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar said that personal attacks against the diplomat were “reprehensible.” Along with Misri, his daughter, Didon Misri, a lawyer who had worked in providing legal assistance to Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar, was targeted in a coordinated attack. Her personal details were shared online as part of this, and the NCW said that it was a serious breach of privacy.
“Sharing personal contact details of the daughter of the Foreign Secretary is extremely irresponsible and a serious breach of privacy, which puts her safety at risk. Such personal attacks on family members of one of the most senior civil servants of the country, like Shri Misri, are not only unacceptable but also morally indefensible. We urge all to maintain decency, civility and restraint in their behaviour,” the NCW statement said.
Along with Colonel Sofiya Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, Vikram Misra, a 1989-batch IFS officer, emerged as the face of Operation Sindoor with their regular press briefings.
On May 10, addressing the media, Vikram announced that India and Pakistan had agreed to a ceasefire. The Foreign Secretary further stated that the decision was arrived at after Pakistan’s Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) called on his Indian counterpart at 3.35 pm.
Displeased by the government’s military de-escalation, several X users spammed the comment box under Misri’s family photo with abusive messages. The targeted attack was condemned by several bureaucrats from the IAS and IPS Association, former diplomats, and politicians from the Opposition.
