Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday that while armed Naxalite violence in India is on the verge of elimination, a subtle threat of “dimaagi Naxals” — or intellectual Naxals — is actively attempting to incite anarchy and mislead the nation’s youth.
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.
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.
Das said in a statement on X. Earlier reporting noted: AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal also shared the clip, describing Modi as “An under-confident, nervous and shaky Prime Minister.”
Modi cautioned that Maoist ideology had historically embedded itself in the corridors of power and advisory committees, influencing government policies for decades. Earlier reporting noted: Sharing the part of the video on social media, Congress leader Pawan Khera wrote, “Superhuman without teleprompter ( Mahamanav bina teleprompter ke ). Earlier reporting noted: ‘Under-confident, shaky, nervous’: PM Modi’s speech fumble, ‘dimaagi Naxal’ dig trigger Oppn attack, Congress reacts Opposition leaders on Saturday took aim at Prime Minister Narendra Modi after he appeared to fumble during his Independence Day address from the Red Fort, with Congress and AAP leaders sharing a clip of the moment and questioning his delivery.
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.
Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh labelled the new terminology a “sure sign of desperation,” noting Modi’s evolving rhetoric against his critics. “It is not for nothing that the PM has an MA being the ‘Master Abuser’ in Entire Political Science that he is.”
