Army's 'stop pension' warning to veterans tarnishing force's image on social media

Ajay Banerjee

New Delhi, July 9

The Army has warned its ex-servicemen of stern action, including stopping their pension, if they raised on social media issues that were false and had the potential to tarnish its image or cause disharmony within the force.

The ex-servicemen have been reminded about the provisions of the Indian Penal Code and also those under which their pension could be stopped. The local military commanders have been asked to keep an eye on the developments.

A letter in this regard was sent in the last week of May by the Additional Director General, Discipline and Vigilance (under the Adjutant General’s (AG) office), to all seven Army commands for further action. The letter has now percolated down to the formations at various locations across the country.

“In the recent past, several instances have come to light where the conduct of some ex-servicemen has tarnished the Army’s image,” the letter mentions. The instances include use of social media for creating propaganda and spreading canards about the Army, especially targeting the officer cadre, it says. “Some posts aim at inciting and converging public opinion on matters related to service life, conditions and privileges.

The speech used in such campaigns is found to be mostly hateful, always malicious and potentially mutinous…. Other than being malicious and misleading, the social media posts influence the mindset of the public and, thereby, can have serious ramifications, which may cause a divide in the organisation,” the letter warns. The posts are getting reported in local media and the Army fears it would be a matter of time before national media takes note of these. The Army has asked the local military commanders to sensitise ex-servicemen on the issue. The letter reminds the ex-servicemen about Section 131 of the Army Act, 1950, which entails life imprisonment for anyone “abetting committing of mutiny by an officer or a soldier”.

The local military authorities have been asked to register cases with the local police under relevant sections of the IPC. The ex-servicemen have been reminded about pension regulations, which say that pension can be withdrawn either on conviction by court of a serious crime or when the pensioner is found guilty by a competent authority of a grave misconduct.

Inflammatory posts

• The Army has warned against posts used for spreading canards, especially about the officer cadre
• These could be on matters related to service life, conditions and privileges, it says
• Commanders told to register cases with local police against offenders, if need be