Political Clash Erupts Over Prime Minister Modi's 'Dimagi Naxals' Remark

Prime Minister Narendra Modi sparked a political controversy during his Independence Day address by warning against "dimagi Naxals," or intellectual Naxals. The Prime Minister stated that while the government had defeated armed Maoists, individuals sympathetic to the ideology continue to seek opportunities to influence and brainwash the youth. He called for the identification and isolation of these individuals.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) later detailed the attributes of those they categorize as dimagi Naxals. BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi stated that such people provide intellectual support to Naxals, celebrate the deaths of security personnel, and oppose infrastructure projects on environmental grounds. He specifically targeted the Congress party, accusing it of becoming a "Muslim League-Maoist Congress," and cited opposition to the abrogation of Article 370 and the execution of Yakub Memon as markers of this mindset.

Opposition leaders responded with sharp criticism. Senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram stated that he was proud to be a dimagi naxal. Other Congress members described the terminology as a sign of desperation, with some arguing that the Prime Minister is loosely branding educated young people as Naxals simply because they question the government.

In response to the backlash, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju clarified that the Prime Minister was not referring to opposition leaders. He defined dimagi Naxals as those who support Maoists, reject the Indian Constitution, stand with separatists, or seek to separate the North East from India.

Following the speech, a satirical "Dimagi Naxal Party" emerged on social media. The group, which claims to follow the ideology of Bhagat Singh with the motto "Think | Research | Resist," gained over 181,000 followers on Instagram within 24 hours. The party also alleged that its accounts have since come under cyberattack.