The government on Sunday clarified Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s reference to “dimagi Naxals” in his Independence Day address, saying the term was not aimed at Opposition leaders or those who believe in the Indian Constitution.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said Modi’s remarks were directed at people who support separatist or Maoist ideology and seek to undermine India’s unity and constitutional framework.
“PM Narendra Modi didn't say opposition leaders as dimagi Naxals,” Rijiju said, responding to the political controversy that erupted after the Prime Minister used the term in his address from the Red Fort on Saturday.
Rijiju also outlined three categories of people whom he said could be described as “dimagi Naxals”. According to the minister, these include those who support Maoists and reject the Indian Constitution; those who back separatism and support Article 370; and those who advocate cutting the “chicken neck” to separate the northeastern states from the rest of India.
The clarification came after Modi, in his Independence Day speech, said that while India had succeeded in eliminating armed Naxalism, the country needed to remain vigilant against those who provide what he described as intellectual support to left-wing extremism.
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The Prime Minister urged citizens to identify and isolate such elements, using the phrase “dimagi Naxals”, or “Naxals of the mind”. The expression triggered criticism from Opposition leaders and activists, who questioned the government's use of the term to describe people expressing dissent.
The phrase also drew a political response from senior Congress leader P Chidambaram, who said he was “proud” to be a “dimagi Naxal”. The exchange added to the debate over whether the term was being used broadly to target critics of the government.
The government, however, sought to draw a distinction between political disagreement and the categories identified by Rijiju.
The minister's clarification came as the Opposition and other political groups continued to question the Prime Minister's remarks. Critics argued that terms associated with extremism should not be used to characterise people merely for questioning government policies.
Modi had made the reference while speaking about the government's efforts to tackle Naxal violence and broader threats to India's internal security. His remarks formed part of a wider Independence Day address in which he also spoke about national security, development and the government's roadmap towards a developed India.
The government has now sought to establish that “dimagi Naxal” refers specifically to those supporting Maoism, separatism or efforts to undermine India's territorial integrity, rather than Opposition leaders as a whole.
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