New Delhi: Union Minister Kiren Rijiju has clarified that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Dimagi Naxals” remark was not aimed at Opposition leaders, seeking to end the political controversy triggered by the Prime Minister’s Independence Day speech.
In a post on X, Rijiju said PM Modi never described Opposition politicians as “Dimagi Naxals.” He stated that the term referred specifically to people who support Maoists while rejecting the Indian Constitution, those who stand with separatist causes and back Article 370, and individuals advocating the separation of India’s Northeast by targeting the strategic Chicken’s Neck corridor.
The clarification came a day after PM Modi’s address from the Red Fort during the 80th Independence Day celebrations, where he said India had largely overcome armed Naxalism but warned that “ideological Naxalism” continued to pose a threat.
The Prime Minister said the government had fulfilled its promise of freeing the country from the grip of armed Maoist violence, recalling that regions once marked by bloodshed were now witnessing development, trust and progress. He paid tribute to thousands of security personnel who sacrificed their lives in the fight against insurgency.
However, Modi distinguished armed Maoists from those who, according to him, continue to promote the same ideology through other means. He alleged that people with a Maoist mindset had influenced institutions and policymaking for years and warned that such ideological forces were looking for opportunities to spread violence and anarchy. He urged the nation to identify and isolate these “Dimagi Naxals.”
The remarks drew sharp criticism from the Congress. Senior leader P Chidambaram responded by saying he was “proud” to be called a “Dimagi Naxal,” while Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh accused the Prime Minister of using abusive labels against political opponents and claimed the language reflected political desperation.
Sorry, there was a YouTube error.
