Who are Dimagi Naxals? Kiren Rijiju's POV earns him brickbats

New Delhi: The BJP's use of the term 'Dimagi Naxal' has triggered a fresh political controversy, with Congress leader P Chidambaram describing it as the latest addition to a list of labels allegedly used by the ruling party against its political opponents.

The controversy began after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his Independence Day address, spoke about 'Dimagi Naxals' — people he described as those who continue to hold Maoist or Naxal ideology even after armed Naxalism has been curbed.

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Union Minister Kiren Rijiju later sought to clarify that Modi was not referring to opposition leaders as 'Dimagi Naxals'. His explanation, however, drew criticism on social media.

What did PM Modi say about 'Dimagi Naxals'?

Addressing the nation from the Red Fort, Modi said that while armed Naxalism had been brought under control, people with what he described as a 'Naxal mindset' continued to exist in different parts of the country.

He alleged that Maoist thinking had earlier influenced public life, government committees and institutions.

Modi said such people were looking for opportunities to promote violence and push the country in what he described as the wrong direction. He called for such 'Dimagi Naxals' to be identified and isolated.

The remarks immediately became a point of political debate, with the Opposition questioning who exactly the term was intended to describe.

Kiren Rijiju's clarification

Responding to the controversy, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said it was unfortunate that Modi's remarks had been interpreted as an attack on Opposition leaders.

In a post on X, Rijiju said Modi had not called Opposition leaders 'Dimagi Naxals'.

He then listed the groups he said could be described by the term. According to Rijiju, they included those who support Maoists and reject the Indian Constitution, those who support separatists and Article 370, and those who seek to cut the 'chicken neck' connecting the Northeast with the rest of India.

Rijiju's attempt to define the term itself became a subject of criticism, with opponents questioning who has the authority to decide who falls into these categories.

Chidambaram calls it BJP's latest political label

Senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP P Chidambaram described 'Dimagi Naxals' as a new version of labels previously used by the BJP against its political opponents.

In a post on X, Chidambaram referred to terms including 'urban Naxals', 'Andolanjeevi' and 'tukde tukde gang'.

He questioned the basis on which these labels had been used and asked: "Who were the urban Naxals? Who were the Andolanjeevis? Who were the tukde tukde gang?"

Chidambaram said 'Dimagi Naxals' was the latest addition to what he described as a series of political accusations.

Earlier, he had responded directly to Modi's remarks, saying: "I am proud to be a dimagi naxal."