Designation Twist: Sushma Swaraj back as 'Foreign Minister' on Twitter

New Delhi, July 22: In the backdrop of the controversy related to former IPL chairman and scam-tainted Lalit Modi and the opposition's demand to oust Sushma Swaraj as the External Affairs Minister, there was something amiss from the official Twitter account of Swaraj on Wednesday.

But after a brief disappearance of her designation, Sushma was back as the 'Foreign Minister' on the micro-blogging website.

"Foreign Minister, Government Of India, New Delhi" was missing from the bio of Swaraj, who is currently in the eye of political storm.

Is she quitting? Social media was agog with speculation that External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj may be thinking of quitting over the Lalit Modi episode after she deleted 'Foreign Minister, Government of India' from her Twitter bio. The bio was back on Wednesday afternoon.

In an attempt to clear the air, a foreign ministry spokesperson told NDTV, "The Twitter account is Mrs Swaraj's personal one, she keeps changing her bio as per her wish."

Since the time Lalit Modi controversy broke out in the media, Swaraj has been active in telling her side of the story via her Twitter account.

Earlier in the day, Swaraj revealed that a senior Congress leader had pressed her hard to give diplomatic passport to a scam accused Congress leader. [Sushma Swaraj's tweet bomb: Congress leader wanted me to help Coal scam accused]

Last month, it was reported that External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj offered to resign almost a week before the controversy broke out over her help to former IPL commissioner Lalit Modi in getting travel documents on "humanitarian ground", but her offer was rejected on the intervention of the RSS.

Sources said that Swaraj had clarified her stand on the issue and said she was ready to resign as she did not want the government to face any embarrassment. [Lalit Modi row: Sushma Swaraj offered to quit a week before controversy broke]

According to sources in the external affairs ministry, Sushma Swaraj may have deleted the words because she wanted to keep the Twitter handle as a personal one, and not as an official one.

She deleted the words after the Lalit Modi controversy erupted, the sources said.

Sushma Swaraj has been making several personal comments on Twitter after the Lalit Modi episode broke out, including taking potshots at a media personality.

The minister would not have been able to make personal comments from an official Twitter handle, was the argument in official circles.

As of now, the government has ruled out her resignation or of others in the line of the opposition fire.

Here are some tweets:

ROFL "@AMadumoole: LoL ! @SushmaSwaraj is reinstated as Foreign Minister after Twitter mocking. Ok, now resign."

— Shabbir Ahmed (@Ahmedshabbir20) July 22, 2015

What's happening? Foreign minister keeps changing her bio;) pic.twitter.com/2AIr5dt6lJ

— Anshu Chhibber (@AnshuChhibber) July 22, 2015

I think PM Narendra Modi must himself become the Foreign Minister instead of Sushma Swaraj considering he spends most of his time abroad. 😂

— Gautam Trivedi (@Gotham3) July 22, 2015

"Sushma Swaraj again adds Foreign Minister on Twitter" Pehle wale Foreign Minister ki kya Spelling galat thi.

— Swami (@mohitraj) July 22, 2015

Dear @SushmaSwaraj , we know you are "foreign" to ur PM but ur correct portfolio is "Minister of External Affairs", not Foreign Minister.

— Abdulla Madumoole (@AMadumoole) July 22, 2015

Why has Sushma Swaraj removed ‘Foreign Minister’ from her Twitter bio? http://t.co/kTpARLEJYL

— Electiondestiny (@Electiondestiny) July 22, 2015

looking at Sushma Swarajs Twitter feed and the promptness of her replies to people in need makes me hope that she stays Foreign Minister

— Aniket Rao (@aniketrao92) July 22, 2015

Sushma removes Foreign Minister from her Bio.Opposition, instead of asking for her resig are now asking why she removed Foreign Min from bio

— Eshwar (@eshwarchandra) July 22, 2015

Sushma Swaraj changes her Twitter Bio. Not a foreign minister anymore?: Swarajs bio on twitter no longer ment... http://t.co/1GdWgjDKRn

— Ajinkya Ambre (@Axelfinance) July 22, 2015

If @SushmaSwaraj resigns then India will loose a good and pro-active foreign minister. She is one of her kind, the country needs her.

— शरीफ बच्चा \@o@/ (@TheRaviKeshri) July 22, 2015

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