'Proud To Be Dimagi Naxal': P Chidambaram Hits Back At PM Modi Amid I-Day Speech Row

Opposition leaders had hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his 'dimagi Naxals' reference in his Independence Day address on August 15.

P Chidambaram hit back at PM Modi stating he was 'proud' to be a 'dimagi naxal.'

Source : PTI

Show Quick Read

Key points generated by AI, verified by newsroom

• PM Modi warned against 'dimagi naxal' mindset influencing policy.
• Chidambaram, senior Congress leader, embraced 'dimagi naxal' label.
• Congress criticised remark, comparing it to undefined 'urban naxal'.

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Sunday hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his remarks on people with a "Maoist mentality", saying he was "proud" to be a "dimagi naxal".

Chidambaram's remarks came a day after Modi, during his Independence Day address from the Red Fort, urged people and authorities to "identify and isolate" those with a "dimagi naxal" (ideological Naxal) mindset.

Chidambaram's Jibe At PM Modi

Reacting to the Prime Minister's remarks, Chidambaram wrote on X: "I am proud to be a dimagi naxal!"

I am proud to be a dimagi naxal !

— P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) August 16, 2026

PM Modi had said on Saturday that government action since 2014 had largely brought an end to the jungle insurgency that had claimed the lives of more than 3,500 security personnel. 

However, he alleged that people with a "Maoist mentality" had previously occupied positions on government committees and influenced policy.

"For years, people with a Maoist mindset had established themselves in the corridors of power. They had served as advisers on government committees and influenced public policy," he said. 

The Prime Minister linked the issue to his vision of a Viksit Bharat by 2047, saying the focus should remain on keeping young people aligned with nation-building. He also warned that an ideological Naxal mindset continues to exist in institutions even as armed Maoist violence is "breathing its last".

He said "decades of Naxalism and Maoist violence had destroyed the lives and aspirations of millions of young people, with over 3,500 police and security personnel killed in the conflict, a number much higher than the soldiers who are killed during wars."

Reacting to Chidambaram's remark, BJP leader Syed Shahnawaz Hussain clarified that PM Modi did not make a direct reference to any Congressman while making the remark 'dimagi naxal' in his Independence Day speech. He added that if the Congress leaders were voluntarily accepting the label, then it is their problem.

"The Prime Minister did not directly refer to Congressmen as 'dimagi naxals,' but if Congress leaders are volunteering to accept that label themselves, that is their own problem," he told IANS.

Congress Questions 'Dimagi Naxal' Remark

Congress had criticised PM Modi's remarks on Saturday, describing his warning against "dimagi naxals" as hollow political rhetoric while also defending the party's historical position on Vande Mataram.

Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh questioned the meaning of the term and compared it with the earlier use of "urban naxal". Ramesh recalled that when political opponents were previously described as "urban naxals", questions were raised in Parliament about the term's definition.

He said Union Home Minister Amit Shah had then clarified in Parliament that there was no official legal definition of "urban naxal".

"Two or three years ago, he (PM Modi) called his political opponents 'Urban Naxals'; at that time, the question arose in Parliament as to what the definition of 'Urban Naxal' was. The Home Minister replied that there is no such thing as an 'Urban Naxal,' nor is there any definition for it. Today, the Prime Minister is using the term 'Mental Naxal' (ideological Naxal) for his political opponents from the Red Fort," news agency ANI quoted Ramesh as saying.

Ramesh Accuses Government Of Adopting Opponents' Demands

Ramesh further alleged that the government often attacks critics before eventually accepting issues and demands raised by them. He cited the caste census as an example, saying the government had earlier dismissed the demand before announcing a caste-based census.

"The reality is that he eventually accepts the issues and demands raised by the very people he labels as 'Urban Naxals.' He had dismissed the idea of a caste census as 'Urban Naxal' thinking, yet a year ago, he announced a caste-based census. First, you make derogatory remarks--calling them 'Urban Naxals' or 'Mental Naxals'--but later, you accept the very demands your political opponents were making... Even after 12 years, there was nothing new in his political speech," the Congress leader said.