New Delhi, Jan 30 (ANI): External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said that she was aware of the plans to replace Sujatha Singh with S Jaishankar, but the swift decision of the Prime Minister's Office on Wednesday night to sack India's top diplomat has clearly taken her ministry by surprise. Swaraj said the abrupt appointment took place since the former was retiring on January 31. Swaraj tweeted, “I was very much a part of the decision to appoint Dr. Jaishankar as Foreign Secretary. Since Dr. Jaishankar was retiring on January 31, we had to issue orders of his appointment before that date. I told her that the Government wanted to appoint Dr.Jaishankar as Foreign Secretary,” Swaraj further added. However, Singh, in a letter written to her IFS colleagues, said she had sought early retirement from government service.