Kiren Rijiju Says PM Modi’s “Dimagi Naxal” Remark Targeted Ideologues, Not Opposition Leaders

Union Minister Kiren Rijiju has defended Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s controversial “dimagi Naxal” remark while attacking the Congress over the ongoing dispute surrounding Vande Mataram. Speaking in an interview, Rijiju said the Congress had historically sung the national song in full but later changed its position. His comments came amid a political row over a video from a Congress Independence Day event in which Vande Mataram was being performed. Rijiju said the Congress used to sing the complete version of Vande Mataram in the past but subsequently adopted a different approach.

“The Congress party used to have full Vande Mataram singing in the past. Maybe later on they changed their stand,” he said. He alleged that the party now gives greater prominence to its own organisational song and does not sing the national song at its party events in the same manner. The Union minister further criticised the Congress over the issue, saying that the party “sing[s] only the Congress song” and does not sing the national song. He described this as wrong and used the controversy to question the opposition party’s position on Vande Mataram. His remarks came as the BJP and Congress continued to exchange political accusations over the treatment of the national song during public and party events.

The controversy intensified after video clips from a Congress Independence Day event circulated showing party leaders Sonia Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge gesticulating while Vande Mataram was being performed. The visuals were interpreted by the BJP as showing displeasure during the performance. The ruling party subsequently used the footage to accuse the Congress leadership of disrespecting the national song. The BJP alleged that Sonia Gandhi had “expressed displeasure at singing the full version” of Vande Mataram and claimed that the incident had been witnessed by the public during a live telecast. The allegation added a fresh political dimension to the long-running debate over national symbols and nationalism.

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The Congress and BJP have frequently clashed over such issues, with the ruling party accusing the opposition of failing to adequately demonstrate its commitment to national symbols. Rijiju’s remarks also came in the context of criticism surrounding Prime Minister Modi’s use of the phrase “dimagi Naxal”. The expression has become part of a broader political confrontation, with opposition leaders questioning the language used by the Prime Minister. By defending the remark while simultaneously criticising the Congress over Vande Mataram, Rijiju sought to frame the debate around the opposition party’s political conduct and its approach to national symbols.

Vande Mataram occupies a significant place in India’s history and freedom movement and is recognised as the country’s national song. Jana Gana Mana, meanwhile, is India’s national anthem. Both have featured prominently at official and political events, and disagreements over their performance or use have periodically become politically contentious. The latest dispute illustrates how questions surrounding national symbols can quickly become part of wider political battles between the BJP and Congress.

Rijiju’s comments seek to link the controversy over the Congress event with the broader criticism of the Prime Minister’s language, while the BJP has continued to use the Vande Mataram episode to question the Congress’s position on nationalism. The Congress has yet to accept the BJP’s interpretation of the video as evidence of disrespect towards Vande Mataram. The circumstances surrounding the gestures seen in the footage remain at the centre of the political dispute. Meanwhile, Rijiju’s comments have ensured that the controversy remains linked to the wider debate over political rhetoric, national identity and the use of national symbols in public life.

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