Indian Army Debunks Pakistani Claim of PM Modi Removing General Dhiraj Seth

New Delhi, October 14, 2026: The Indian Army’s official fact-check handle has dismissed as fabricated a social media claim that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is preparing to remove Chief of Army Staff General Dhiraj Seth. The allegation, circulated by Pakistan-linked propaganda accounts, was also linked to a false narrative that Army officers had been told to disobey the COAS.

Posting on X through its MythbusterXX handle, the Army said the claim was part of a malicious disinformation campaign aimed at the Indian Army. The fact-check unit said the story had been pushed by Pakistan-backed accounts and was designed to create the impression of internal discord within the force.

“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,” the account said in its post.

The Army account also tagged @indiantiwari01 and @Diksha_sharma03, identifying them as among the handles circulating what it called fake allegations about India’s political and military leadership. It described the content as a blend of “unverified political allegations”, “fabricated military disobedience narrative” and “claims of internal divisions” intended to mislead audiences about the armed forces.

In its advisory, the account urged users not to amplify such posts without verification and tagged several official accounts, including @adgpi, @PIBFactCheck, @GoI_MeitY, @SpokespersonMoD and @PMOIndia.

The misinformation appeared amid what reports describe as an intensifying Pakistan-linked “digital jihad” campaign against India, with propaganda efforts targeting the security establishment and the Union government. The timing also coincides with ongoing protests in India against the Election Commission of India over the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.

Officials said more than 5,000 social media accounts were reportedly created in Pakistan over the past two weeks to spread misinformation and provoke violence, including false claims about police action during the protests. Authorities have urged the public to rely only on official sources for accurate information.

General Dhiraj Seth, PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, took charge as the 31st Chief of the Army Staff on 30 June 2026, succeeding General Upendra Dwivedi after his superannuation following more than four decades of service. Before becoming Army Chief, General Seth served as Vice Chief of the Army Staff.

The Ministry of Defence, the Indian Army and the Prime Minister’s Office have issued no official communication supporting any change in the appointment of the COAS. The Army has repeatedly countered similar disinformation in the past, including deepfake and AI-manipulated videos falsely linked to General Seth and other senior officers.