New Delhi: A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘dimagi Naxals’ remark in his Independence Day speech created a political stir, with the Opposition terming it as an attack on them, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju attempted to explain the PM’s comments, and offer a definition of the term.
Rijiju took to X to point out that the remark was not aimed at the opposition party leaders, adding that the term ‘dimagi naxals’ refers to individuals who support Maoism, reject the Constitution, back separatism, or attempt to isolate Northeast India.
“PM @narendramodi ji didn’t say opposition leaders as Dimagi Naxals. Only following are Dimagi Naxals: 1. Who support Maoists and reject Indian Constitution. 2. Who stand with separatists & support Article 370. 4. Who want to cut chicken neck to separate North-East from India,” he wrote.
The Parliamentary Affairs Minister also shared a video clip of an old speech by former JNU scholar and activist Sharjeel Imam, who was actively protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
In the clip, Imam can be heard purportedly saying: “If we have 5 lakh organised people, we can permanently cut off India and the North-East… if not permanently, then at least for a month or two.”
“Only those who support these kind of people are called ‘Dimagi Naxals’,” Rijiju wrote.
Only those who support these kind of people are called "Dimagi Naxals". pic.twitter.com/Gtcmj7rLfL
— Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) August 16, 2026
In his address at Red Fort Saturday, PM Modi warned of a “new enemy”, the “Dimagi naxal”.
He said that while naxalism itself has been eliminated, there are “dimagi naxals” present in various parts of the country who need to be “identified and isolated”, so that the youth of India can be brought together to realise the Vikshit Bharat ambition.
Senior Congress leaders, including Jairam Ramesh, later hit out at the PM. “First He called his opponents ‘urban naxals’. Now He calls them ‘dimaagi naxals’. It is a sure sign of His desperation. It is a separate matter that He ends up doing whatever these so-called ‘urban naxals’ or now ‘dimaagi naxals’ are demanding or advocating. It is not for nothing that the PM has a MA being the Master Abuser in Entire Political Science that he is,” he posted on X.
Congress leader P. Chidambaram also reacted on social media, saying he was “proud to be a dimagi Naxal”.
What Modi govt once said on use of ‘urban naxals’
Even as the PM used the term ‘dimagi naxal’ Saturday, the Modi government had responded, in 2020, to a question by then Rajya Sabha MP K.J. Alphons—asking who ‘Urban Naxalites’ were and what legal action was being taken against them—that the Ministry of Home Affairs did not use the phrase.
Then MoS Home Affairs, G. Kishan Reddy, had said: “The phrase ‘Urban Naxalites’ is not used by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. However, the Government of India’s National Policy and Action Plan addresses Left Wing Extremism in all its manifestations including the urban activities.”
Later, in February 2022, the government had informed the Upper House again that the government did not use the phrase “urban naxals”, according to a report by The Hindu. Then MoS-Home, Nityanand Rai, had told Parliament that the term is not used by the government when it comes to left-wing extremism (LWE), whether in urban areas or any other place.
This was in response to a question by BJP MP Rakesh Sinha, who had said, “Maoism thriving due to extra parliamentary forces and urban naxals who are sitting in universities and under the garb of journalism are breaking the country”.
‘Branding young educated people as naxalis’
The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which had spearheaded the Jantar Mantar protest over NEET paper leak and other exam irregularities, questioned the branding of educated young people as ‘Naxalis’ over merely questioning the government.
“‘Dimagi Naxal’ or whatever is not going to work, Prime Minister. How could you loosely brand educated young people “naxalis” etc? Just because they question your government? Sheer arrogance! Sheer incompetence at resolving their problems! Bells are ringing. The awakening is here!” CJP spokesperson Saurav Das wrote on X.
“Dimagi Naxal” or whatever is not going to work, Prime Minister. How could you loosely brand educated young people “naxalis” etc? Just because they question your government? Sheer arrogance! Sheer incompetence at resolving their problems!
Bells are ringing. The awakening is… https://t.co/DHuGkhWrGN
— Saurav Das (@SauravDassss) August 15, 2026
Meanwhile, on Sunday, BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari, while addressing a press conference, questioned the Opposition over the Vande Mataram controversy, using the term ‘dimagi naxal’.
BJP has alleged that Sonia Gandhi had tried to stop the singing of Vande Mataram midway at Congress’s Independence Day programme at party headquarters. Congress maintains that Sonia was asking for a chair for party president Mallikarjun Kharge as he had been standing for a while.
“I want to ask a very fundamental question: Can any patriot, any Indian who believes in the Constitution, respects the Indian Tricolour and freedom fighters, and believes in India’s sovereignty and integrity, ever be angry or irritated by the chanting of ‘Vande Mataram’ on Independence Day? Would anyone oppose it? No patriot would. Only people with the mindset of the ‘Dimagi Naxal ecosystem’ can oppose Vande Mataram,” Bhandari said.
“We saw this mindset yesterday, when the country was celebrating Independence Day, in the opposition by Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi at the Congress headquarters. The opposition by Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi to Vande Mataram on Independence Day points towards the mindset of a ‘Dimagi Naxal ecosystem’.”
(Edited by Mannat Chugh)
Also Read: Left Wing Extremism crushed but PM Modi has a message for the country: Beware of ‘dimagi Naxals’