Now Reading: Opposition slams PM Modi’s ‘dimagi Naxal’ remark in his I-Day speech
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Opposition slams PM Modi’s ‘dimagi Naxal’ remark in his I-Day speech
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday used his 80th Independence Day address to speak of 'dimagi Naxals' (people with a Naxal mentality), drawing sharp criticism from opposition parties. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh…
The Story in Brief
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday used his 80th Independence Day address to speak of 'dimagi Naxals' (people with a Naxal mentality), drawing sharp criticism from opposition parties. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh called Modi a 'master abuser', while CPI(M) general secretary M. A. Baby accused the government of 'state terrorism' in its handling of Maoists and said the label stigmatised dissent. Modi claimed armed Naxalism was ending, noting over 3,500 security personnel had died, but said such thinking persisted in institutions.
The Indian Opinion
The opposition's charge that 'dimagi Naxal' is a smear to silence dissent echoes past accusations of 'urban Naxal' against critics. But the government's data shows a real decline in armed Maoist violence. The question is whether labelling ideological opponents as violent extremists isolates the fringe or alienates legitimate critics. The coming months' arrest and surrender numbers will offer a clearer test.
Sources (3): thehindu.com, thenewsminute.com, hindustantimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 3 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 3 sources.
