On Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that armed Naxalite violence in India is nearing eradication. However, he warned of a continuing threat posed by ‘dimaagi Naxals,’ or intellectual Naxals, who are allegedly trying to incite chaos and mislead the youth of the nation. Modi’s remarks highlight the government’s focus on addressing not just physical violence but also the ideological challenges that could disrupt social order.
The Prime Minister’s remarks drew swift and fierce condemnation from opposition parties, who accused Modi of using the Independence Day to attack political opponents, stigmatise legitimate dissent, and intimidate critics. “First he called his opponents ‘ urban naxals ’. Now he calls them ‘dimaagi Naxals’. It is a sure sign of his desperation,” Ramesh posted on X, adding that the prime minister frequently ends up adopting policies advocated by those he criticizes. “It is not for nothing that the PM has an MA being the ‘Master Abuser’ in Entire Political Science that he is. Saurav Das, chief spokesperson of the Cockroach Janta Party , rejected the Prime Minister’s classification of critical youth. “dimagi Naxal or whatever is not going to work, Prime Minister. How could you loosely brand educated young people ‘Naxalis’ etc.? Sheer arrogance! Sheer incompetence at resolving their problems? Protests led by the CJP had culminated in the resignation of then education minister Dharmendra Pradhan following days of agitation by tens of thousands of students in connection with impropriety in examinations that affected the fates of hundreds of thousands.
Because they question your government, just.
Delivering the 80th Independence Day address from the ramparts of the Red Fort, Modi said that while security forces have successfully dismantled armed Maoist insurgencies in the forests, individuals carrying an ideological Naxal mindset are quietly seeking opportunities to drag society down the wrong path. Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh labelled the new terminology a “sure sign of desperation,” noting Modi’s evolving rhetoric against his critics. Das said in a statement on X.
Modi cautioned that Maoist ideology had historically embedded itself in the corridors of power and advisory committees, influencing government policies for decades.
