Verify info before commenting: Army to veterans, officers

NEW DELHI: The Army today urged veterans and serving officers to verify defence-related information before commenting on it on social media, saying that "vested interests", including those in neighbouring countries, were carrying out a deliberate misinformation campaign.

The advisory by the Army did not specify the issues but many veterans and serving officers have in recent days commented on contentious subjects such as the status equivalence between military officers and their civilian counterparts and the One-Rank-One-Pension scheme.

The advisory was posted on Twitter by the Army's additional directorate general of public information.

It said material printed on the letterheads of the ministry of defence or branches of Army headquarters were being circulated on social media and some of these were false.

"At times, even vintage photographs are being circulated to depict recent incidents. Therefore, it is apparent that there is a deliberate misinformation campaign being launched by vested interests, some of which is being initiated from countries bordering our nation," the advisory said.

It advised the veterans and officers to approach the Army headquarters to check the veracity of information or material before they commented on issues that directly affected the service.

"This does not in any way deny veterans the right to healthy criticism on any issue that they feel necessitates attention of our community," it added.