Hyderabad, December 15: A viral post is doing rounds on social media platforms claiming that the as many as 25,000 soldiers of the Indian Army have returned their Shaurya Chakra medals. The fake claim further states that the soldiers have returned their medals in solidarity with farmers' protest. The news was published in Prajasakti, a Telugu newspaper. It must be noted that thousands of farmers from Punjab, Haryana and other parts of the country have been protesting near various border points of Delhi for over a fortnight demanding the Centre repeal three new farm laws. Farmers’ Protest: Govt Using Signal Jammers to Suppress Agitation Updates on Social Media? PIB Fact Check Terms It ‘Fake News’.

Dismissing the rumours, a fact-check by the Press Information Bureau (PIB) stated that the new article published by the Telugu daily is misleading and false. It added saying that only 2,048 Shaurya Chakras have been awarded from 1956 till 2019. The Shaurya Chakra is awarded by the Indian Army to its soldiers for their valour, courageous action or self-sacrifice while not engaged in direct action with the enemy. It is third in order of precedence of peacetime gallantry awards and comes after the Ashoka Chakra and the Kirti Chakra. It precedes the Sena Medal.

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Several such fake news have been widely circulated on social media platforms including WhatsApp, Facebook and Twitter, especially at the time when the country is reeling under the coronavirus pandemic. To curb the spread of such rumours, the government has time and again advised people not to believe in such fake news and rumours.

Fact check

25,000 Indian Army Soldiers Returned Their Shaurya Chakra Medals in Solidarity With Farmers’ Protest? PIB Fact Check Reveals Truth Behind Fake News
Claim :

A newspaper article has claimed that 25,000 soldiers of the Indian Army have returned their Shaurya Chakra medals in solidarity with farmers' protest.

Conclusion :

PIB Fact Check reveals that this news is false as only 2,048 Shaurya Chakra medals have been awarded from 1956 till 2019.

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(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 15, 2020 02:43 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).