The Congress on Saturday criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his reference to “dimaagi Naxals” in his Independence Day address, with party general secretary Jairam Ramesh describing the remark as a sign of desperation. Ramesh argued that Modi had previously used the term “urban Naxals” for his political opponents and was now using a different label.

In a post on X, Ramesh accused the Prime Minister of repeatedly applying such labels to his opponents. He wrote that PM Modi had first referred to his opponents as “urban Naxals” and was now calling them “dimaagi Naxals”. Ramesh also described Modi as a “master abuser” in the context of political discourse.

Ramesh further argued that there was an irony in the Prime Minister's criticism of people he had labelled as “urban Naxals” or “dimaagi Naxals”. Without elaborating on specific instances, he suggested that Modi's government had eventually adopted positions or implemented measures that those groups had previously advocated.

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PM Modi made the “dimaagi Naxals” reference during his Independence Day address from the Red Fort, while discussing the government's record against Left-Wing Extremism. He claimed that armed Naxalism had been significantly weakened and that insurgents who once operated in forested areas no longer had the strength to sustain their activities.

The Prime Minister, however, warned against what he described as an ideological form of Naxalism. He alleged that individuals with a Maoist mindset continued to seek opportunities to promote violence and unrest and argued that such “intellectual Naxals” should be identified and isolated.

The exchange has added a political dimension to PM Modi's Independence Day remarks on Naxalism, with the Congress challenging his characterisation of ideological opponents. While Modi framed the issue as a continuing threat beyond armed insurgency, Ramesh dismissed the terminology as evidence of political desperation.

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