‘We’re dimagi Naxals’: P Chidambaram, Kejriwal. ‘No, pure Naxals’, BJP snaps

Congress leader P Chidambaram and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal, along with TMC MP Mahua Moitra, have criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent remarks on "dimagi Naxals" during India's Independence Day address. Modi stated that while armed Naxalism had weakened, individuals with a "Naxal mentality" continued to pose a threat and needed to be identified and isolated. He also warned that ideological Naxals were seeking opportunities to revive violence and anarchy.

Chidambaram responded on social media, declaring pride in being a "dimagi Naxal" and criticizing the term as a new variant of old BJP accusations against urban Naxals, Andolanjeevi, and Tukde Tukde gang. Kejriwal also embraced the label, arguing that those who question the government and seek a corruption-free system should not be labeled as "dimagi Naxals." He invoked Bhagat Singh and B R Ambedkar, stating they too could have been labeled similarly for challenging authority.

However, BJP leaders defended Modi's comments, with Union Minister Kiren Rijiju stating that Modi did not call opposition leaders "dimagi Naxals." Instead, the term referred to those who support Maoists, separatists, or seek to divide India. BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi questioned Chidambaram's response, comparing it to former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's 2006 statement that Naxalism posed the greatest internal security challenge. Rijiju also asked Congress to choose between Singh or Chidambaram.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma went further, calling Chidambaram a "pure Naxal" instead of a "dimagi Naxal" and demanding an inquiry into Chidambaram's actions during his tenure as Home Minister. Meanwhile, BJP MP Ravishankar Prasad accused Chidambaram of making an "utterly irresponsible" comment, questioning his understanding of the Prime Minister's remarks and the context in which they were made.