New Delhi, October 14, 2026: A social media claim alleging that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is moving to remove Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Dhiraj Seth has been rejected by the Indian Army’s official Fact Check handle as fabricated.
The claim was being pushed by Pakistan-linked propaganda accounts, which also tried to connect it to a separate allegation that General Seth had spoken against the Chief Election Commissioner. The Army Fact Check account (@MythbusterXX) said the narrative was false and part of a malicious disinformation effort aimed at the Indian Army.
In its post, the unit said: “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 messaging was designed to create a misleading impression of division inside the force.
The account also named @indiantiwari01 and @Diksha_sharma03 among the handles spreading what it described as fake allegations about 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.”
As part of the same post, the Army asked users not to forward unverified content and tagged official handles such as @adgpi, @PIBFactCheck, @GoI_MeitY, @SpokespersonMoD, and @PMOIndia. The advisory stressed the need to verify material before amplifying it online.
Reports quoted in the source say this episode comes amid what is described as an intensified Pakistan-linked “digital jihad” campaign against India, with online efforts targeting the security establishment and the Union government. The timing also overlaps with protests in India against the Election Commission of India over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Officials have said that more than 5,000 social media accounts were reportedly created in Pakistan over the past two weeks to spread misinformation and incite violence, including fabricated 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, 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, and the source notes that no official communication from the Ministry of Defence, the Army, or the Prime Minister’s Office supports any change in the COAS appointment.
