Sushma Swaraj trolled over Lucknow inter-faith couple’s passport row

External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj was trolled on Twitter over a controversy involving the issuance of passport to an inter-faith couple.

External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj was on Sunday trolled on Twitter over a controversy involving the issuance of passport to an inter-faith couple.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.(HT File Photo)

Earlier this week, Vikas Mishra, an officer in the regional passport office in Uttar Pradesh’s Lucknow was transferred after he allegedly humiliated an inter-faith couple, asking the woman to change her last name and the man to convert to Hinduism.

A section of social media attacked Swaraj and the ministry for taking action against Mishra, claiming that he was doing his duty.

“Biased decision #ISupportVikasMishra shame on you mam...is it effect of your islamic kidney??(sic)” read one tweet.

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.

“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.

Tanvi Seth and Anas Siddique had alleged that Mishra misbehaved with them when they went to the passport office for the mandatory personal interview to get the travel document. Seth alleged Mishra not only declined to clear her application but also refused to renew her husband’s passport.

Mishra, however, refuted their allegations of misbehaviour.

The action against Mishra was taken after Seth tagged external affairs minister on Twitter, seeking her intervention in the matter.

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.