New Delhi: Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Sunday fired back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the “dimagi naxal” remark, saying, “I am proud to be a dimagi naxal”, PTI reported.
The former Union minister’s comment came a day after Modi, addressing the nation from the Red Fort on the 80th Independence Day, warned about “dimagi naxals” who he alleged had entrenched themselves within the system and continued to pose a threat to society by manipulating policies. The prime minister urged citizens to “identify and isolate” them.
Modi said the country had succeeded in removing armed Naxalism from the forests but cautioned that its ideological supporters were seeking opportunities to promote violence and anarchy.
Taking a dig at the prime minister, Chidambaram wrote on X, “I am proud to be a dimagi naxal!”.
In his speech, Modi had said, “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.” . The prime minister said the challenge must not be underestimated and greater vigilance was required.
He said years of Naxal and Maoist insurgency had destroyed the futures of countless young people, leaving millions of lives and aspirations in ruins. More than 3,500 police and security personnel had been killed in the conflict, he noted, adding that this death toll was far greater than the number of soldiers who had died in wars.
“Naxalism held a very large part of India and a huge population in its grip, at gunpoint,” he said.
The prime minister said his government, which took office in 2014, had made ending Naxalism a priority.
“Decades-old challenges must be brought to an end. Naxalism and Maoism have destroyed the future of millions of young people. They have taken away the sons of countless mothers, ruined families, and shattered the dreams of parents,” he said.
“Today, I am happy that Naxalite and Maoist violence is being brought to an end. In areas where the bullets of Naxalites once rang out, where bloodshed was once commonplace, the tricolour of development, trust, and effort is now flying because these areas have been freed from Naxalism,” he said.