A Passport Seva Kendra official in Lucknow was transferred after he allegedly humiliated an inter-faith couple
External Affairs Minister (EAM) Sushma Swaraj, who returned to India on Saturday following her week-long visit to four European nations, said she was "honoured" with some tweets of trolls who targeted her over a controversy involving the issuance of passport to an inter-faith couple.
Earlier this week, a Passport Seva Kendra official in Lucknow was transferred after he allegedly humiliated an inter-faith couple, asking the husband to convert to Hinduism and pulling up the wife for marrying a Muslim, when they went to the office with their passport applications. The couple's passports were issued a day later the woman complained to Swaraj on Twitter.
A section of social media attacked the Ministry of External Affairs and Swaraj for action against Vikas Mishra, the official accused of humiliating the couple, claiming that he was just doing his duty.
Swaraj on Sunday shared the tweets by "liking" them on the micro-blogging website. Some of the tweets that the minister "liked" 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 wrote on Twitter.
The minister was on a week-long, four-nation visit to Italy, France, Luxembourg and Belgium and arrived in India late Saturday night.
Here are some examples of how Swaraj was attacked:
"If u r Muslim, No verification needed is the new Rule by Passport Matah @SushmaSwaraj.This lady has spoilt all Hindus Sentiments by this cheap appeasement mentality. Her twitter works only, she never worked," a Twitter user by name of Anirudh Routray said.
Another Twitter user Manish Jha wrote, "Dev Bhai she is repeated offender, she is nothing but a pseudo secularist. Having her in party will spell doom for BJP."
A Twitter user who goes by the name of Sheldon's Cat said, "It seems Sushma ji wants to join congress so she is proving more sickular than pappus and pidis. Shame on her for favouring Muslims. Shame on her for granting visas to Pakis. Shame on her for subverting laws."
Some users declared that they had unfollowed Mrs Swaraj for her "minority appeasement" politics.
The controversy
On June 20, Mohammad Anas Siddiqui and Tanvi Seth, who have been married for 12 years, wrote on Twitter that they were humiliated by passport officer Vikas Mishra. They shared their ordeal on Twitter and tagged Swaraj.
A day later, the Regional Passport Office in Lucknow transferred Vikas Mishra, the official accused of humiliating the couple, to Gorakhpur.
Regional Passport Officer (RPO) Piyush Verma said a show cause notice has been issued to the officer and he has been transferred with immediate effect.
Verma said the passports were issued to the couple after he met them in his office in Lucknow.
"We have also sent the report to the Ministry of External Affairs for further action," Verma told reporters in Lucknow, assuring necessary action against the official.
The RPO expressed regret over the incident and gave an assurance that it would not be repeated.
Mishra, the official who allegedly harassed the couple, said in his defence that he was secular and had told Seth 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 PTI inputs)
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