A student from Jammu and Kashmir with residential address location set on his twitter as “Indian occupied Kashmir” was schooled by external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj on Thursday after he asked for help from the Philippines.
Sheikh Ateeq, who tweets from his @SAteEQ019, requested Swaraj to help him with getting a new passport and said he needed to get back to his “home, India” as his health was deteriorating. “I am from J&K doing medicine course here in Philippines my passport got damaged I applied for new one 1 month ago I request u pls help me to get it as i literally need to go home for medical checkup (sic),” Ateeq tweeted. Ateeq had asked Swaraj for help on April 5 on the social media platform.
“Dear ma’am @SushmaSwaraj I greatly need your help. Is there anything u can do to rush the process of my passport as it is damaged. I need to get back to my home, India. My health is detereorating and I cannot shoulder the expenses any more as I’m student (sic),” he said in his earlier tweet. Swaraj, who actively addresses people’s grievances on Twitter, replied to Ateeq saying she would have helped him if he belonged to the state of Jammu and Kashmir. “Your profile says you are from ‘Indian occupied Kashmir’. There is no place like that,” Swaraj tweeted. If you are from J&K state, we will definitely help you. But your profile says you are from 'Indian occupied Kashmir'. There is no place like that. @indembmanila Soon after, Ateeq corrected the location on his Twitter bio to “jammu &kashmir/ manila”. Swaraj acknowledged the correction in a tweet that was shared minutes later and asked the Indian embassy in Manila to help the medical student. “I am happy you have corrected the profile.
Jaideep - He is an Indian national from J&K. Pls help him,” the minister tweeted. Both of Swaraj’s tweets have been shared over 5,000 times and have been liked by nearly 10,000 people. Ateeq has since deleted his Twitter profile.