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#Disgust, #Duty: VK Singh's Tweets After Pakistan Day Event Kick Up A Storm

#Disgust, #Duty: VK Singh's Tweets After Pakistan Day Event Kick Up A Storm
NEW DELHI, INDIA - MARCH 19: Union Minister of State for External Affairs VK Singh during Budget Session of Parliament on March 19, 2015 in New Delhi, India. Opposition forced deferment of consideration of the contentious Mines and Minerals Bill in Rajya Sabha till tomorrow, arguing that mineral-bearing states had not been consulted. (Photo by Vipin Kumar/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)
Hindustan Times via Getty Images
NEW DELHI, INDIA - MARCH 19: Union Minister of State for External Affairs VK Singh during Budget Session of Parliament on March 19, 2015 in New Delhi, India. Opposition forced deferment of consideration of the contentious Mines and Minerals Bill in Rajya Sabha till tomorrow, arguing that mineral-bearing states had not been consulted. (Photo by Vipin Kumar/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)

NEW DELHI β€” Shortly after representing the Government at the national day reception at Pakistan High Commission last night which kicked up a storm, Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh issued a series of intriguing tweets defining "disgust" and "duty" indicating that he may have been unhappy at being deputed to it.

In the first of the five quick tweets, Singh, a former Army Chief, said using the hashtag "Disgust", "To offend the moral sense, principles, or taste of".

This was immediately followed by another on the same hashtag which said, "To sicken or fill with loathing".

While the remaining three tweets on '#Duty' said, "A job or service allocated", "The force that binds one morally or legally to one's obligations", and "A task or action that a person is bound to perform for moral or legal reasons".

Earlier tonight, Singh told reporters after attending the reception that he was asked by the government to represent it at the function.

"The Government of India has to send an MoS. They sent me and I went there and came back," he said replying to a question about his presence at the reception.

Asked specifically whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked him to attend the event, he said, "The Government of India asked me to go there."

Singh attended the event where several Kashmiri separatist leaders including Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Yaseen Malik were also present.

The Minister's visit to the Pakistani High Commission came on a day India and Pakistan sparred over Hurriyat leaders' meeting Pakistani envoy Abdul Basit with government making it clear that there was no role for a third party.

Mirwaiz, Chairman of Hurriyat Conference, along with Abdul Gani Bhat, Maulana Abbas Ansari, Bilal Gani Lone, Aga Syed Hassan, Mussadiq Adil and Mukhtar Ahmad Waza had held talks with Basit last night.

Basit, who invited them to the Pakistan National Day celebrations, said that India was not against these interactions. However, India hit out, saying "the Government of India prefers to speak for itself".

Later, on his Facebook page, he posted some definitions as per Collins dictionary of "disgust" and "duty" and listed the meanings as tweeted by him.

Subsequently, Singh tweeted, "Disgusted to see how certain sections of the media are twisting this issue".

Sources said tonight that Singh had been deputed to the event after clearance from the Prime Minister.

The Pakistan Day reception is an annual diplomatic event but tonight it generated a controversy because of the presence of the separatist leaders.

Reacting to the developments, former Jammu and Kashmir Cheif Minister Omar Abdullah tweeted:

How ridiculous to expect that Gen VK SIngh would not attend the Pak National Day event. It's his job as MOS EA to attend diplomatic events.

β€” Omar Abdullah (@abdullah_omar) March 23, 2015

Modi Govt is also more realistic regarding Pak-APHC equation. The calling off of the dialogue after the earlier tea was a bad knee jerk.

β€” Omar Abdullah (@abdullah_omar) March 23, 2015

Abdullah, a former Minister of State in the External Affairs Ministry, also referred to the earlier cancellation by India of Foreign Secretary-level talks.

#DUTY

A task or action that a person is bound to perform for moral or legal reasons

β€” Vijay Kumar Singh (@Gen_VKSingh) March 23, 2015

#DUTY

The force that binds one morally or legally to one's obligations

β€” Vijay Kumar Singh (@Gen_VKSingh) March 23, 2015

#DUTY

A job or service allocated

β€” Vijay Kumar Singh (@Gen_VKSingh) March 23, 2015

#DISGUST

To sicken or fill with loathing

β€” Vijay Kumar Singh (@Gen_VKSingh) March 23, 2015

#DISGUST

To offend the moral sense, principles, or taste of

β€” Vijay Kumar Singh (@Gen_VKSingh) March 23, 2015

#'Disgust'ed to see how certain sections of the media are twisting this issue

β€” Vijay Kumar Singh (@Gen_VKSingh) March 23, 2015

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This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.