From 'duty' to 'disgust': PMO pulls up VK Singh for cryptic tweets; changes tone on order

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister’s Office took the decision to send a government representative to attend the Pak Day event at the last minute since it had been the norm.

Top officials in security establishment told ET that boycott of the event at the Pak High Commission would have sent wrong diplomatic signals. “India refused to send a representative to attend the Pak Day only twice earlier. One was immediately after the Kargil war and then after 26/11. There are tensions even now but not of that scale. A nuanced approach is needed,” said a government official.

Sources said MoS for External Affairs VK Singh was pulled up by PMO for showing his “disgust” through the cryptic tweets he sent out after the event. He was told to clarify.

His final tweet, thus, explained his disgust, which he said was directed at the media — “Disgusted to see how certain sections of the media are twisting this issue.”

As per sources, the issue was initially discussed at the MEA level where it was decided not to send anybody for the event. “External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had made it clear that she did not want to go. Even her deputy Singh refused to go,” said an official. In the evening PMO called up Swaraj and asked her to represent GoI. When she expressed her inability, she was told to send Singh.