Modi’s ‘Dimagi Naxals’ remark draws Congress retort, Rijiju clarifies

Prime Minister Narendra Modi used the term 'Dimagi Naxals' in his Independence Day speech on August 15, warning youth against what he described as intellectuals with a violent mindset akin to Maoist ideology. Congress leader P. Chidambaram responded, 'I am proud to be a Dimagi Naxal,' while Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju clarified the remark targets those who support Maoists, reject the Constitution, back Article 370, or advocate splitting the Northeast.

The phrase combines 'dimagi' (meaning independent thinker in Hindi) with 'Naxal', a term rooted in the 1967 Naxalbari uprising. Modi had previously rejected the term Naxal in 2014, preferring 'Maoism'. The prime minister said the government has largely freed the country from armed Naxals but now faces a new challenge from ideological sympathisers. UAPA cases have risen significantly since 2014, with critics arguing the remark signals a crackdown on dissent.