Sushma Swaraj is known for her quick and helpful responses to SOS posts on Twitter. On Sunday, however, the social media-savvy Foreign Minister was deeply annoyed by one request.
A Pune-based techie tweeted requesting a transfer for his wife, who works for the Railway Ministry and is posted in a different city. The response was not what he would have hoped for. "I would have ordered a suspension had this transfer request been made to my ministry," the minister said.
@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+.
— Smit Raj. (@smitraj07) January 8, 2017
Ms Swaraj also tagged Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu in her response to IT professional Smit Raj's request. Mr Prabhu, another minister counted among the most responsive on social media, replied that he has nothing to do with transfers and would ask a top railway officer to look into the case.
The IT professional had used the word "banwas" or exile to describe his situation after the minister's interaction with a US-based man who had asked for help.
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. https://t.co/LImngQwFh6
— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) January 8, 2017
Sanjay Pandita had requested the minister's help to get a passport for his wife, claiming that he had been forced to live without her because of the delay.
Ms Swaraj has urged Indians abroad to tweet to embassies with their problems and also tag her so she can personally monitor the response.
1/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 https://t.co/WSqxinGx1u
— Suresh Prabhu (@sureshpprabhu) January 8, 2017
Last year, the Foreign Minister's "Twitter diplomacy" was widely acknowledged and she was also named among 15 'Global Thinkers' of the year. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was among the first to congratulate her.
Ohh ! This banwas should end soon. @CPVIndia https://t.co/w4cqRYTMis
— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) January 8, 2017
