Who is Vidisha Maitra? All About India's MEA Secretary Who Tore Into Pakistan PM Imran Khan's Speech at UNGA
To counter Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's speech made at the UN General Assembly (UNGA), India deployed Vidisha Maitra, First Secretary at the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
New York, September 28: To counter Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's speech made at the UN General Assembly (UNGA), India deployed Vidisha Maitra, First Secretary at the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). Vidisha Maitra tore into every claim made by Pakistan and called Imran Khan's address a "hate speech". She said that Imran Khan's threat of unleashing a nuclear conflict "qualifies as brinkmanship, not statesmanship". India Counters Pakistan at UNGA, Says 'Imran Khan's Speech is Reminiscent of Dara Adam Khel's Guns'.
Maitra is an Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer of 2008 batch. She stood at 39th rank. During her training before joining the administration, Maitra won gold medal and title of "best training officer". She is among the newest Indian diplomats at the United Nations. She also looks after the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. Imran Khan Goofs Up During UNGA Speech, Netizens Troll Pakistan PM on Twitter For 'President' Modi, 'Check on Google' Remarks and Exceeding Time Limit.
Maitra used India's "Right to Reply" to expose Pakistan's hypocrisy on treating minorities. "Having mainstreamed terrorism and hate speech, Pakistan is trying to play its wild card as the newfound champion of human rights," Maitra said in response to Khan's remarks that "there will be a bloodbath" in Jammu and Kashmir.
The MEA secretary highlighted atrocities meted out on minorities in Pakistan and said: "This is a country that has shrunk the size of its minority community from 23% in 1947, to 3% today, and has subjected Christians, Sikhs, Ahmadis, Hindus, Shias, Pashtuns, Sindhis, and Balochis, to draconian blasphemy laws, systemic persecution, blatant abuse and forced conversions." Maitra mentioned that Pakistan was paying pensions to UN-designated terrorist Hafiz Saeed.
MEA Secretary Vidisha Maitra Speaking at UNGA:
"Will Pakistan acknowledge that it is the only government in the world that provides pension to an individual listed by the UN in the Al-Qaeda and Daesh sanctions list?" Maitra asked. "Can Pakistan PM confirm that it is home to 130 UN-designated terrorists and 25 terrorist entities listed by the UN?" she added. The Indian diplomat categorically said that Indians do not need a foreign spokesperson and the government is committed to inclusive development of Jammu and Kashmir.
"The mainstreaming of Jammu and Kashmir, as well as Ladakh, in India’s thriving and vibrant democracy with a millennia-old heritage of diversity, pluralism and tolerance is well and truly underway. Irreversibly so," Maitra said. "Citizens of India do not need anyone else to speak on their behalf, least of all those who have built an industry of terrorism from the ideology of hate," she asserted.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 28, 2019 11:09 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).