Amid increasing tensions between India and Pakistan in the aftermath of the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, the Ministry of Defence has said that a "misleading" message is doing the rounds on WhatsApp, which claims that the Centre has opened a bank account seeking donations for the modernisation of the Indian Army.
The message quoted a Cabinet decision to this effect and invoked the name of actor Akshay Kumar as being the prime mover of the proposal, the ministry said in an official statement on Sunday.
"The account details in the said message are wrong, leading to online donations getting dishonoured. People must remain cautious and not fall prey to such fraudulent messages," it said.
The ministry also said the Centre has "initiated several welfare schemes for soldiers killed or disabled during active combat operations".
"In 2020, the government instituted 'Armed Forces Battle Casualty Welfare Fund' which is utilised for grant of immediate financial assistance to the families of soldiers/sailors/airmen who lay down their lives or get grievously injured in active military operations," it said.
The Press Information Bureau (PIB) also alerted people about the "misleading" claim and shared a screenshot of the message on X.
The fake message read, "Another good decision by Modi Govt as suggested by Super Star Akshay Kumar. Only one rupee per day, that too for Indian army. In yesterday's cabinet meeting, the Modi government opened a bank account for the modernization of the Indian Army and for soldiers who are injured or martyred in the war zone. In which every Indian can contribute any amount as per his/her own choice. It starts from Rs.1 and is unlimited."
To donate, the bank account details of a branch in Delhi were also provided in the message.
How You Can Donate
The Ministry of Defence shared the bank account details for making contributions to the Armed Forces Battle Casualty Welfare Fund (AFBCWF).
The Indian Army, on behalf of the Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare, Ministry of Defence, maintains the accounts for the fund, it said.
First account
Bank Name: Canara Bank, South Block, Defence Headquarters, New Delhi - 110011
IFSC Code: CNRB0019055
Account No: 90552010165915
Second account
Bank Name: State Bank of India, Parliament Street, New Delhi - 110011
IFSC Code: SBIN0000691
Account No: 40650628094
Donations can also be made through a Demand Draft drawn in favour of AFBCWF payable at New Delhi, which may be sent by post to the below-mentioned address:
Accounts Section
Adjutant General's Branch
Ceremonial & Welfare Directorate
Room No 281-B, South Block
IHQ of MoD (Army), New Delhi - 110011
