About 200 Fake Twitter Handles Impersonating Senior Army Officers

The army has identified about 200 fake Twitter handles that have been impersonating senior army officers, including Army Chief General Bipin Rawat, and spreading propaganda on Jammu and Kashmir. The army with the help of the defence ministry and home ministry has reported the matter to Twitter, officials added. Twitter has shut down about 6o to 70 percent of these handles. Officials believe these handles to have the support of the Pakistan establishment and see this as a ‘twitter war’ started from across the border. They added that these handles came up after the Centre abrogated Article 370 that gave special status to J&K on August 5. There has been a 70 to 80 percent increase in such Twitter handles since over the past month, as compared to what it was in the months preceding August 5. Officials explained that the fake handle that was impersonating Rawat had posted this on J&K, “Kashmir is beautiful and people of J&K have great idea towards life and humanity…” Another similar handle under the Army Chief’s name was created. A handle under the name of the army’s previous Vice Chief, Lieutenant General Devraj Anbu, was also created. A handle that used the name of a Colonel rank officer speaks about ceasefire violations along the border and death of several Indian soldiers. Another handle has used the name of Lieutenant Colonel Shrikant Purohit, who is an accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case.