New Delhi, October 14, 2026: The Indian Army’s official Fact Check handle on Wednesday rejected as fabricated a claim circulating on social media that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is preparing to remove Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Dhiraj Seth.
Pakistan-linked propaganda accounts had alleged that the purported move was linked to General Seth allegedly speaking against the Chief Election Commissioner, and further claimed that Army officers had been instructed to disobey his orders. The Army Fact Check account (@MythbusterXX) stated that the claim is fabricated and was posted with malicious intent by Pakistan-backed accounts as part of their ongoing disinformation campaign against the Indian Army.
In its post, the Fact Check unit noted: “Pakistan-linked propaganda accounts are circulating fake claims that PM Narendra Modi is preparing to remove Indian Army Chief General Dhiraj Seth for allegedly speaking against the Chief Election Commissioner. It further alleges that Army officers have been instructed to disobey his orders.” It added that the claim forms part of a coordinated effort to create a misleading impression of divisions within the force.
The account tagged handles @indiantiwari01 and @Diksha_sharma03, identifying them as circulating fake allegations concerning India’s political and military leadership. It summarised the pattern as: “Unverified political allegations + Fabricated military disobedience narrative + Claims of internal divisions = Misleading propaganda targeting the Indian Armed Forces.” The post advised users to verify information before amplifying it and tagged relevant official accounts including @adgpi, @PIBFactCheck, @GoI_MeitY, @SpokespersonMoD, and @PMOIndia.
Reports indicate that Pakistan’s “digital jihad” campaign against India has intensified, with efforts to malign the security forces and the Union government. This activity has coincided with ongoing protests in India against the Election Commission of India over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Officials have noted that more than 5,000 social media accounts were reportedly created in Pakistan over the past two weeks with the objective of spreading misinformation and inciting violence, including fabricated claims about police actions during the protests. Authorities have urged the public to rely solely on official sources.
General Dhiraj Seth, PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, assumed charge as the 31st Chief of the Army Staff on 30 June 2026, succeeding General Upendra Dwivedi upon the latter’s superannuation after more than four decades of service. He previously served as Vice Chief of the Army Staff. No official communication from the Ministry of Defence, the Army, or the Prime Minister’s Office supports any change in the appointment of the COAS.
The Army has previously debunked multiple deepfake and AI-manipulated videos falsely attributed to General Seth and other senior officers as part of recurring disinformation efforts. The latest fact-check reinforces the call to verify content from official channels before sharing.
