Himanta Sarma Calls Chidambaram ‘Pure Naxal’ Over ‘Dimagi Naxal’ Comment

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday escalated the political row over the phrase “dimagi Naxals”, calling Congress leader P Chidambaram a “pure Naxal” and demanding an inquiry into his tenure as Union home minister. Sarma questioned why Chidambaram had allegedly failed to take stronger steps against Naxalism when he held the key security portfolio.

Addressing a press conference, Sarma referred to the killing of Congress leaders, including VC Shukla, in a Naxal attack in Chhattisgarh during Chidambaram’s tenure as home minister. He questioned why the Congress-led government had not taken measures that, in his view, could have eliminated Naxalism. Sarma’s comments were aimed at challenging Chidambaram’s record on the issue while responding to the former minister’s own remarks about being a “dimagi Naxal”.

Sarma said Chidambaram had described himself as a “dimagi Naxal” in response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Independence Day speech, but argued that the Congress leader belonged to what he called a category beyond that. “He is a Naxal. He will fall under the pure Naxal category,” Sarma said. He also called for an inquiry to determine whether Chidambaram had deliberately failed to take action against Naxal groups while serving as home minister.

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The Assam chief minister also highlighted what he described as improvements in law and order under the BJP-led NDA government. Referring specifically to Assam, Sarma said there was a time when people could not have imagined places such as Bodoland becoming peaceful or major national occasions passing without bomb blasts in the state. He presented these developments as evidence of progress in tackling violence and insecurity. Sarma further accused the Congress of being uncomfortable with what he described as the prevailing peaceful environment under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

He alleged that the opposition party wanted anarchy to prevail and was seeking to capitalise on such conditions ahead of the 2029 Lok Sabha elections. The Congress has not endorsed these allegations, which form part of the ongoing political confrontation between the BJP and opposition parties. The latest exchange follows Modi’s Independence Day address, during which the prime minister used the phrase “dimagi Naxals” while discussing ideological supporters of Naxalism.

Modi said India had succeeded in eliminating armed Naxalism from the jungles but warned that those he described as ideological supporters were looking for opportunities to create violence, unrest and anarchy. Chidambaram responded to Modi’s remarks by posting on X that he was “proud to be a dimagi Naxal”. He argued that the phrase represented a new version of labels that the BJP had previously used against members of the opposition. His response turned the phrase into a fresh point of political debate between the Congress and BJP.

Union minister Kiren Rijiju, however, defended Modi’s remarks and said the prime minister was referring to people who support Maoists and separatists and reject the Indian Constitution. Rijiju’s explanation offered a different interpretation of the phrase from Chidambaram’s reading of it, further widening the political dispute over the term. Sarma’s comments have now taken the controversy further, moving from a debate over the phrase “dimagi Naxal” to a direct challenge to Chidambaram’s record as home minister.

His demand for an inquiry remains a political call, and his allegation that Chidambaram deliberately failed to act against Naxals has not been established as fact. The exchange reflects a broader political battle over Naxalism, national security, governance and the language used to describe ideological opposition. With BJP and Congress leaders trading accusations over the meaning of “dimagi Naxal”, the issue has emerged as another flashpoint in the wider contest between the ruling party and the opposition.

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