JOIN USA tweet by an Information Technology professional based at Pune in Maharashtra on Monday irked External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, who has been actively using the social media platform to help people who need the help of her ministry.
Sushma generally responds promptly to anyone tweeting to her seeking help from her or the Ministry of External Affairs. She, however, lost her cool on Monday, when IT professional Smit Raj tweeted to her seeking her help to get his wife, an employee of the Indian Railways, transferred from Jhansi Railway Station in Uttar Pradesh to Pune, where he lives.
“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,” tweeted the External Affairs Minister.
Her terse reply came after the IT professional, who goes by the Twitter handle @smitraj07, posted on Twitter: “ @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 tweet was apparently inspired by what the External Affairs Minister herself posted in Twitter in response to a tweet from one Sanjay Pandita.
“Hello Madam please help my wife get passport cleared. I am forced to live without her in US. Passport issues,” tweeted Pandita. “Ohh ! This banwas should end soon,” Swaraj responded to Pandita’s tweet wittily, tagging the consular division of the MEA, which has to intervene to help Pandita get his wife to the US.
But Swaraj was not ready to help Smit. She also tagged Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu in his response to the email from Smit.
“Thanks @SushmaSwaraj ji for bringing it to my notice. As per policy laid by me, I don’t look into transfers. The Railway Board empowered for same,” the Railway Minister, who is also known for his quick response to people's problems and grievances through social media, posted on Twitter in response.
‘Indians abroad must tweet problems’
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Monday said that Indian citizens experiencing problems abroad should tweet to the respective Embassy or High Commission of India, DHNS reports.
Sushma also advised that she be tagged in such tweets. The minister also added that she would be personally monitoring the responses of the respective embassies and high commissions of India.
“Please tweet your problem to the concerned Indian Embassy/authority and endorse the same to @sushmaswaraj,” Sushma posted on Twitter.