Union Minister Kiren Rijiju defended Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s comments on “dimagi Naxals” on Sunday, clarifying that the phrase did not target opposition leaders.
In a statement on social media platform X, Rijiju explained that the term referred to individuals who back Maoists, oppose the Constitution, support separatists and Article 370, and favor disconnecting the Northeast via the Chicken’s Neck corridor.
Rijiju emphasized that the Prime Minister did not apply the label to opposition figures.
The clarification followed Modi’s Independence Day speech from the Red Fort, where he noted success against armed Naxalism but cautioned about those with Naxal ideology seeking to incite violence.
Modi urged identifying and isolating such “dimagi Naxals” to unite youth for national progress. He mentioned that Maoist ideas had influenced public life and institutions previously.
Congress leaders criticized the remarks. Jairam Ramesh compared it to the earlier “urban Naxal” term, questioning its definition, and suggested it was used to label political opponents.
He noted that some demands once dismissed as such thinking were later adopted by the government.
