Rijiju defends PM after Chidambaram says proud to be dimagi naxal

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram said on Sunday he was proud to be a 'dimagi naxal', hitting back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Independence Day speech. Modi had warned about 'dimagi naxals' who have entrenched themselves in the system and manipulate policies, calling them a threat to society.

Union minister Kiren Rijiju clarified that the PM was not referring to opposition leaders, but only to those who support Maoists and separatists and reject the Constitution. Chidambaram had earlier said the phrase is a new variant of BJP accusations like 'urban naxals' and 'andolanjeevis' directed at the Opposition.

Separately, Andhra Pradesh official Lanka Dinakar questioned why Chidambaram had portrayed himself as a self-declared dimagi naxal, asking if he would answer how many police and civilians were killed by Naxalites during the UPA government from 2004 to 2014.