Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri has made his profile on the social media platform X private amid facing abusive messages and comments after he announced that India and Pakistan had agreed to stop all firing on Saturday.

Since May 7, Misri, along with Colonel Sofiya Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, had been conducting press briefings to give updates about the Indian military’s strikes – codenamed Operation Sindoor – on what it claimed were terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

On Saturday, Misri’s announcement that India and Pakistan had agreed to stop all firing at 5 pm and his subsequent message that Islamabad had violated the ceasefire angered some Indians, who believed that the conflict should continue.

Several social media users began to abuse Misri. Abusive messages were also directed at the foreign secretary’s daughter, with several users criticising her for providing legal aid to Rohingya refugees. Some disclosed his phone number and those of his family members.

Several prominent politicians rallied to Misri’s defence, pointing out that the diplomat was merely conveying a decision that had been made by politicians in government.

Stating that Misri is an “honest, hardworking diplomat”, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen president Asaduddin Owaisi expressed support for the foreign secretary after he started facing abuse on social media.

“Our civil servants work under the executive, this must be remembered and they shouldn’t be blamed for the decisions taken by the executive/or any political leadership,” said Owaisi.

Congress leader Salman Anees Soz said that Misri had “done India proud”.

“No amount of trolling can diminish his service to the country,” said Soz. “If you can’t say thank you, learn to shut up.”

Former External Affairs Minister and Congress leader Salman Khurshid said the targeting of Misri was “very, very sad”, reported NDTV.

“We can say without hesitation that these three [Misri, Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, Wing Commander Vyomika Singh] have been a remarkable face of our determination, the clarity of purpose, the determination and the sense of confidence they gave,” Khurshid told NDTV.

He added: “There are people in the country who will troll anybody for decisions taken at a higher level and decisions taken in the enlightened self-interest in modern times. We are not a country of jingoists.”

Khurshid said that India “believes in protecting its rights and sovereignty, but also a country that believes in diplomatic interaction with the world”.

The strikes were in response to the Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 26 persons on April 22. The Pakistan Army retaliated by repeatedly shelling Indian villages along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir.