Around 200 Fake Twitter Handles Impersonating Army Officers, Spreading Anti-India Propaganda Detected Since 5 August

The Ministries of Defence and Home Affairs along with the Indian Army have identified at least 200 twitter accounts that were either using fake identities of serving senior Indian Army officers, or were engaged in spreading anti-India propaganda and misinformation since 5 August, when the government scrapped the special status of Jammu and Kashmir, reports Indian Express.

It should be noted that the fake accounts included one that of the Chief of Army Staff General Bipin Rawat. Close to 50 of the total 200 accounts were found to have been impersonating colonels, brigadiers, lieutenant generals, major generals, and other such army officials.

It has been reported that the administration has already brought down close to two-thirds of these accounts and that there has been a surge of 60-70 per cent in the creation of such accounts following the dilution of Article 370.

The Indian Army has a strict protocol in place for its personnel, under which the serving members are not allowed to reveal their identities and ranks, postings and official addresses. Also, the Indian Army personnel are only allowed to operate private social media accounts.