Jaishankar uses Twitter a la Sushma, tunes into SOS calls of Indians abroad  

If former External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj’s exit was a disappointment for many on Twitter who bid her an emotional adieu after she was dropped from Modi’s cabinet this time, her successor S Jaishankar has been quick to fill in her shoes by starting his own Twitter account.

In his first ever tweet on May 31 he said he was proud to be following in the footsteps of his predecessor Swaraj.

“My first tweet. Thank you all for the best wishes! Honoured to be given this responsibility. Proud to follow on the footsteps of @SushmaSwarajji,” he tweeted.

His account has already started receiving SOS messages from Indians in distress abroad. The Union minister has been prompt in replying to these messages and has put the people concerned in touch with concerned embassy officials.

A day after he took charge as the External Affairs Minister, Jaishankar through a tweet appreciated the prompt action of the Indian Embassy in Riyadh in supporting a Kolkata-based man stranded in Saudi Arabia.

On June 2, replying to the distress tweet of a woman asking for help after her and her family’s passport were stolen in Italy, Jaishankar assured her that the Indian Embassy in Rome/Consul General in Munich will extend all assistance to her to resolve the situation.

Swaraj’s popularity as the External Affairs Minister shot up after she used Twitter to help several Indians in distress abroad. For Indians who faced problems abroad, a tweet to Sushma was enough to get her immediate attention.

(With inputs from agencies)