On Tuesday, YouTuber Abhisar Sharma (Archived link) who runs propaganda through his videos, in his recent video titled “Astrology for Selection of Players? made soldiers agents of the Modi government. Is this Amritkaal?” made a striking claim regarding the involvement of soldiers in government initiatives. According to him, the Modi government has allegedly issued an order mandating soldiers on leave to actively participate in the promotion of various government schemes within their local communities. This participation reportedly includes the distribution of pamphlets aimed at advocating for these government initiatives.
Citing a report from the Deccan Herald, which featured a headline stating, “Soldiers on leave now government’s marketing agents, by order of Army HQ!”, Abhisar Sharma outlined a list of government schemes that soldiers are purportedly tasked with promoting. These schemes encompass a wide range of initiatives such as Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan, Rashtriya Uchhtar Shiksha Abhiyan, SAKSHAM, Samagra Shiksha, Garib Kalyan Rozgar Abhiyan, Ayushman Bharat Yojana, and Jan Aushadhi Yojana.
Furthermore, in the video from 11 minutes and 19 seconds, talking about the One Rank, One Pension scheme, Abhisar criticizes the Modi government for its handling of the country’s most significant financial fraud cases, and he asserts that fugitives such as Vijay Mallya, Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi, and Lalit Modi acquired loans from Indian banks and have absconded in the Modi government’s tenure.
Fact Check
1. Abhisar Sharma claimed that an order has been issued by the Modi government mandating that soldiers on leave will now serve as marketing agents for the government
In the initial phase of our research, The Only Fact conducted thorough keyword searches on Google, which led us to an article published by the Hindustan Times. This report, titled “Soldiers Advised to Engage in Social Service and Promote Government Schemes During Leave,” sheds light on recommendations put forth by the Army’s Ceremonials and Welfare Directorate, operating under the Adjutant General’s branch. These recommendations were communicated in a letter addressed to all command headquarters in May.
The article goes on to detail the suggested course of action for soldiers while on leave. It encourages them to volunteer their time and choose a topic of personal interest and community relevance. Soldiers are motivated to actively engage with citizens during their leave, with the aim of making individual contributions to the nation-building efforts of the army, as outlined in the letter.
According to the letter, it highlights that each soldier possesses distinct individual attributes and talents. The army’s human resource base spans across India, with soldiers originating from various regions and communities, with a significant proportion hailing from rural backgrounds. The letter suggests that this strong connection with society can be effectively utilized to enhance and support nation-building endeavors.
Importantly, it’s important to highlight that the article does not attribute the implementation of this recommendation to the Modi government. Instead, it clarifies that these recommendations emanate from the Army’s Ceremonials and Welfare Directorate. Furthermore, we tried to gather additional information from various media reports, but it did not yield any evidence suggesting that the central government has formally sanctioned or executed such a decision.
Furthermore, the initiative undertaken by Army officials has the potential to enhance awareness about government-sponsored free schemes. This is especially crucial because rural India continues to grapple with a lack of awareness regarding such schemes for a multitude of reasons, including restricted access to information, linguistic diversity, low literacy levels, the digital divide, insufficient outreach, the presence of intermediaries and corruption, and the complexity of application processes. Effectively addressing this awareness gap remains a persistent challenge, primarily due to the vast and diverse nature of rural India.
2. Abhisar claimed that Vijay Mallya, Mehul Choksi, Nirav, and Lalit Modi obtained loans from Indian banks and then fled the country in the tenure of the NDA government
After callously drawing a comparison between the Pakistan Army and the Indian Army, Abhisar Sharma subsequently asserted that the Modi government may have covertly provided support to financial fugitives such as Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi, Vijaya Mallya, and Lalit Modi. Sharma extended his argument by suggesting that these individuals have been afforded lenient treatment by the Indian government, allowing them to lead comfortable lives, while concurrently witnessing a more stringent approach taken by the government towards athletes.
Abhisar Sharma’s assertions are fundamentally flawed. While it is widely known that cases were filed against financial fugitives during the tenure of the Modi government, we cannot disregard the crucial fact that these individuals engaged in their questionable financial dealings during the Congress regime. Every instance of financial misconduct involving Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi, Vijay Mallya, and Lalit Modi occurred between 2004 and 2014. This is not surprising, considering the historical propensity of the UPA government to be embroiled in major scandals.
Nirav Modi is entangled in two significant scandals, one involving Union Bank of India and the other concerning Punjab National Bank. In a groundbreaking development in 2018, Union Bank of India took legal action against the elusive Nirav Modi in Hong Kong. This marked the inaugural revelation of the financial misconduct orchestrated by the diamond tycoon. According to a report in the South China Morning Post, Union Bank has filed a lawsuit in the High Court. In the lawsuit, they claim that a Mumbai-born businessman, who is wanted for a big financial scam in India, provided guarantees for two loans. These loans were given to Firestone Trading Private on October 21, 2011, and to Firestar Diamond on November 15, 2011.
Another substantial financial scandal involved Nirav Modi and his cousin Mehul Choksi within Punjab National Bank, implicating additional diamond industry figures. According to Business Standard, The PNB scam, a significant financial scandal, unfolded when bankers at PNB’s Brady House branch in Fort, Mumbai, used fake Letters of Undertakings (LoUs). These LoUs were issued to Indian bank branches for pearl imports, typically with a 90-day validity as per RBI guidelines. However, overseas branches of Indian banks disregarded this rule. They didn’t share any documents or information with PNB that had been provided by the firms when they obtained credit. Nirav Modi obtained his first fraudulent guarantee from PNB on March 10, 2011, and remarkably, he secured an additional 1,212 such guarantees over the following 74 months.
We mentioned the two scams because they are noteworthy due to their roots tracing back to the UPA regime and also culminating during that same period in public-sector banks. Nevertheless, the proactive stance of the Modi government led to the exposure of these scams in 2018, drastically altering the circumstances for Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi, making their lives exceedingly difficult. According to a report from Zee News, the Government of India has significantly impacted Nirav Modi’s life by seizing properties valued at over Rs 254 crore. Notably, Nirav Modi faced a setback when his extradition plea was rejected by a UK court, suggesting that his return to India is imminent. Meanwhile, the situation for Nirav’s cousin, Mehul Choksi, appears no less challenging. He has alleged that Indian government security agencies have made his life extremely arduous.
A detailed report by The Guardian sheds light on the claims made by Choksi’s lawyer in Antigua and Barbados. The lawyer asserts that Indian security agencies conducted a covert operation, during which Choksi was subjected to verbal abuse and physical mistreatment, seemingly with the intention of forcibly bringing him back to India to face charges related to his fraudulent activities.
In 2022, the Indian government sent a strong and unequivocal message that it had no intentions of being lenient towards individuals involved in financial scams. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, the government successfully retrieved a substantial amount of 18,000 crores from Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi, and Vijay Mallya. What adds an interesting dimension to this development is the involvement of Congress leaders Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Kapil Sibal, alongside other lawyers, who found themselves advocating on behalf of the fugitives. They approached the court, seeking some leniency in response to the stringent financial recovery laws implemented by the Modi government.
The narrative surrounding Lalit Modi follows a similar pattern. His rise to prominence occurred during the Congress rule, and instances of corruption were attributed to him during the Congress regime. Subsequently, he absconded from India during the UPA’s tenure.
Given the facts and details provided, it is clear that the YouTube video by Abhisar Sharma is highly misleading and does not contain accurate information. Abhisar has a history of promoting false information and has been criticized on multiple occasions for doing so. Despite identifying as a journalist, who are traditionally responsible for delivering accurate news, he never apologized for disseminating false information.
| Claim | 1. Modi government mandating that soldiers on leave now serve as marketing agents for the government 2. Vijay Mallya, Mehul Choksi, Nirav, and Lalit Modi obtained loans from Indian banks and then fled the country in the tenure of the NDA Govt |
| Claimed by | Abhisar Sharma |
| Fact Check | Misleading |
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