In a social media post, Press Information Bureau’s (PIB) Fact-Check Unit said that Dharkar had retired as Vice-Chief of Air Staff last month on superannuation after completing 40 years of service.

In the wake of escalating tension between India and Pakistan, social media is rife with misleading information circulated by pro-Pakistan handles. The latest such claim was that Air Marshal SP Dharkar was sacked for refusing to fight a war with Pakistan. However, a fact-check by the Centre has debunked the claim.

In a social media post, Press Information Bureau’s (PIB) Fact-Check Unit said that Dharkar had retired as Vice-Chief of Air Staff last month on superannuation after completing 40 years of service. "Several pro-Pakistan social media accounts have falsely claimed that Air Marshal Sujeet Pushpakar Dharkar, Vice Chief of the Air Staff, has been sacked for refusing to fight a war against Pakistan. The claims being made in these posts are fake," the post read.

Air Marshal Narmdeshwar Tiwari, who is the Air Officer commanding-in Chief of the South Western Air Command, will replace Dharkar as the new Vice Chief. He will take charge on May 2. Dharkar, who assumed charge in October 2024 was given a guard of honour on the day he was superannuated at Air Headquarters, Vayu Bhawan.

In the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack, Pakistan had repeatedly attempted to attack the Indian Army's cyberspace. An attempted breach of the Army Welfare Housing Organisation (AWHO) database was likewise detected, while a concurrent effort was made to compromise the Indian Air Force Placement Organisation portal. All four sites were promptly isolated, and restorative action was undertaken; no operational or classified networks were affected at any stage. Tensions have remained high along the LoC even as security forces intensified anti-terror operations in the Kashmir valley. 

PIB has been fact-checking several claims being peddled by ISI proxies.