‘Absurd Label’: PM Modi’s ‘Dimaagi Naxals’ Remark at Red Fort Triggers Fierce Opposition Backlash

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday, in his 80th Independence Day address from the ramparts of the Red Fort, warned that while armed Naxalite violence in India is nearing elimination, a more subtle threat of “dimaagi Naxals” - or intellectual Naxals are seeking to create unrest and mislead the country’s youth.

Modi said security forces had succeeded in dismantling armed Maoist insurgencies in forested areas, but warned that people carrying what he described as an ideological Naxal mindset were still looking for opportunities to push society in the wrong direction.

He also alleged that Maoist ideology had, in the past, found its way into corridors of power and government advisory committees, influencing policies for decades.

“We must isolate these dimaagi (intellectual) Naxals and connect the country’s young generation to the mainstream of transforming our nation into a developed nation,” Modi added.

Opposition Hits Back

Opposition parties swiftly condemned the remarks, accusing Modi of using his Independence Day address to target political opponents, stigmatise dissent and intimidate critics.

Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh described the new terminology as a “sure sign of desperation”. Referring to the Prime Minister’s earlier use of the term “urban Naxals”, Ramesh said Modi was repeatedly changing the labels used for his critics, while eventually adopting policies that had been advocated by those he attacked.

“First he called his opponents ‘urban Naxals’. Now he calls them ‘dimaagi Naxals’. It is a sure sign of his desperation,” Ramesh posted on X.

He also mocked Modi’s academic background, writing that it was “not for nothing” that the Prime Minister had an MA in “Master Abuser” in the “Entire Political Science” he practises.

CPI General Secretary D Raja accused Modi of adding another label to what he called a series of right-wing tropes used to silence critics, while failing to address pressing concerns among young people, including education and employment.

“PM Modi finds time and opportunity to target dissenters even on a solemn national occasion like Independence Day, conveniently forgetting what the people of India are asking of him and his government,” Raja said.

He added that terms such as “anti-national” and “tukde-tukde gang” had now been joined by another “absurd label”, “dimaagi Naxal”, which he described as an attempt to stigmatise dissent and intimidate those who question the government.

Right To Question

Saurav Das, chief spokesperson of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), rejected the Prime Minister’s characterisation of critical young people.

“Dimaagi Naxal or whatever is not going to work, Prime Minister. How could you loosely brand educated young people ‘Naxalis’ just because they question your government?” Das said in a statement on X, accusing the government of arrogance and incompetence in addressing their concerns.

Protests led by the CJP had earlier culminated in the resignation of then Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The resignation followed days of agitation by tens of thousands of students over alleged examination irregularities that affected the prospects of hundreds of thousands of candidates.

Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra responded sarcastically to the new label, writing on X, “I am a dimaagi Naxal. All cockroaches by definition are.”

RJD MP Manoj Jha also took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, thanking him for “gifting” the phrase “dimaagi Naxal” and predicting that it would soon inspire memes, reels, cartoons, parodies, poems and songs across multiple Indian languages.

“Dear Prime Minister Sir, the very young, the young, and the ever-curious express their sincerest gratitude for gifting us the phrase ‘Dimagi Naxal’,” Jha wrote on X.

“Please now brace yourself for the viral memes, reels, cartoons, parodies, poems, and songs, in multiple Indian languages and in every conceivable format,” he added.