# Gen Z undeterred by propaganda, ‘Dimagi Naxal’ taunts: Ex-judge 2026-08-26T14:37:27+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Senior Advocate and former Orissa High Court Chief Justice S Muralidhar on Monday said India's Gen Z will not be easily swayed by political rhetoric or propaganda. Delivering the DS Borker Memorial Lecture in New Delhi, he said recent protests by the younger generation offered reassurance that Indian democracy will endure. Justice Muralidhar noted that the July protests showed Gen Z was prepared to challenge authority and remained undeterred despite attempts to portray protesters as 'Dimagi Naxals', a term used by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He also criticised the use of criminal law against peaceful protesters and the growing inequality in wealth and power, which he said was controlled by corporate oligopolies. He argued that India by 2047 must preserve space for criticism of those in power and stop criminalising personal choices such as marriage. He also questioned whether courts have consistently fulfilled their constitutional role as a check on state power, warning that the justice system could lose public faith if courts themselves turn into sites of oppression. ## Indian Opinion Analysis Justice Muralidhar's critique of 'Dimagi Naxal' rhetoric echoes a broader judicial concern over the shrinking space for dissent in India. Under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution, peaceful protest is a fundamental right, but the Supreme Court in 2023 held that the state can impose reasonable restrictions. The term itself originated from the PM's 2024 Parliament remarks targeting opposition protesters. What makes this speech significant is that a former High Court chief justice is publicly naming the phrase and linking it to Goebbelsian propaganda, a comparison rare in Indian judicial discourse. The next test will be how political parties respond ahead of the 2026 state elections, where youth turnout is expected to be decisive. ## Coverage - barandbench.com The article reports Justice Muralidhar's speech verbatim without adding editorial commentary or framing. This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Tags: Article 19, Gen Z, Narendra Modi, S Muralidhar, Supreme Court of India Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/gen-z-undeterred-by-propaganda-dimagi-naxal-taunts-ex-judge/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/gen-z-undeterred-by-propaganda-dimagi-naxal-taunts-ex-judge/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes. How this brief was made: an AI model read the report linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/