New Delhi, May 22 (AHN) The Indian Army on Friday disapproved of attempts by the Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh and Rashtriya Janata Dal MP Manoj Kumar Jha to tarnish the image of defence forces, promote falsehoods about service conditions aimed to instigate divisions within the armed forces and manufacture an "Officer-Men divide".

Sounding a false and misleading information alert, the Additional Directorate General of Public Information under the Integrated Headquarters of Ministry of Defence (Army), repudiated the claims made by some "discharged", "dismissed" and "deserter" ex-servicemen to play the victim card at an event organised by the two MPs.

"With regard to the misleading joint press conference addressed by Sanjay Singh and Manoj Jha at the Press Club of India, where three ex-servicemen and one deserter were given a platform, the facts must be placed on record," the Additional Directorate General said.

"The truth about these four individuals is as follows: Chandu Chavan -- discharged from the Army on July 25, 2024, after accumulating five red ink entries for indiscipline; Harendra Yadav — dismissed from service on January 27, 2024, on grounds of indiscipline; Shankar Singh Gujjar -- deserter from the Army since November 2024 and P. Narender -- dismissed from service due to indiscipline," the Army official added.

"These individuals are now spreading falsehoods about service conditions, attempting to instigate divisions within the Armed Forces and manufacture an Officer-Men divide," he said.

"This entire exercise appears aimed at diverting attention from their own unsoldierly conduct and the multiple proceedings against them, while falsely portraying their dismissals -- arising from desertion, intoxication, insubordination and related misconduct -- as victimisation," he added.

In a social media message, the Additional Directorate General said, "A press conference video is being circulated across media and social media platforms with an attempt to malign the image of the #IndianArmy. It is reiterated that the individuals seen in the video, namely Chandu Chavan, Harendra Yadav and P. Narender, were dismissed from service on grounds of indiscipline and unsoldierly conduct. The fourth individual, Shankar Singh Gujjar, is a deserter and disciplinary proceedings are undergoing against him in both military and civil courts."

"These individuals are deliberately spreading fake, malicious and misleading narratives on social media to divert attention from their own misconduct and dismissal from service. Citizens are advised not to fall prey to such propaganda and to remain vigilant against misinformation," he added.

"Indian Army has previously clarified against the circulation of #Fake and #Malicious messages & videos by Chandu Chavan & Harendra Yadav on September 17, 2024," the officer said, tagging screenshots of social media message of the penalised ex-servicemen.