Is NSA Ajit Doval on Facebook? PIB fact check exposes fake post

New Delhi, May 9 (IANS) Pakistan's disinformation machinery has once again come under the spotlight, this time for targeting India’s National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval through a fake Facebook post. The post falsely claimed to quote Doval warning about an impending cyberattack from Pakistan.

The message, attributed to a Facebook account bearing Doval’s name and photo, read: “Now coward country Pakistan is preparing for cyberattack secretly. Avoid clicking messages or picking up the phone from an anonymous number. And share this information with everyone. Cooperate, alert everyone. Stay awake.”

However, a fact-check by the Press Information Bureau (PIB) has revealed that the post is completely fake.

The PIB clarified that NSA Ajit Doval does not have any official Facebook account.

In a statement posted on X, PIB Fact Check said, "This Facebook account is FAKE. The National Security Advisor does NOT have an official Facebook account. Citizens are advised to exercise caution and not engage with any impostor or fake profiles claiming to represent them."

The PIB also urged citizens to rely only on verified government sources for any information regarding national security or other sensitive issues.

Earlier, the government on Friday trashed Pakistani social media handles claiming that a Sukhoi Su-30MKI was shot down in Muzaffarabad, and an Indian Pilot was captured.

The PIB fact check said the image being circulated by Pakistani social media handles was fake and lifted from an 11-year-old news report.

The PIB Fact Check said the image was of the Indian Air Force’s Sukhoi SU-30MKI that crashed at Undre Vasti of Kulwadi village near Pune-Ahamad Nagar highway, Maharashtra, on October 14, 2014.

This attempt at misinformation is being seen as part of a broader propaganda campaign aimed at spreading panic and confusion among Indian citizens.

--IANS

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