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New Delhi, August 18 (KMS): India\u2019s opposition parties and leaders have strongly criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi\u2019s call to identify and isolate \u201cdimagi Naxals\u201d (those with a Maoist or Naxal mindset), saying that he has coined a new label to target dissenters, intellectuals, and political rivals in the country.<\/p>\n
According to Kashmir Media Service, Modi, in his Independence Day speech, claimed that while armed Naxals had been eliminated from the forests, \u201cdimagi Naxals\u201d remained and were seeking ways to promote \u201cviolence and anarchy\u201d. He called for such people to be identified and isolated.<\/p>\n
The remarks triggered sharp reactions from opposition leaders, particularly within the Congress.<\/p>\n
Senior leader and former Indian home minister P. Chidambaram said, \u201cPM has coined a new invective \u2013 mental Naxal. This is the new variation of their despicable description of dissident intellectuals, writers, teachers, scholars, etc. as \u2018urban Naxals\u2019.\u201d He said, \u201cI am proud to be a dimagi naxal!\u201d warning that eliminating such \u201cmental Naxals\u201d would amount to eliminating the opposition and pave the way for \u201ca one-party rule and eventually dictatorship.\u201d<\/p>\n
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh called the terminology \u201ca sure sign of his desperation\u201d, while party leader Sachin Pilot said the remarks showed Modi and the BJP were \u201crattled\u201d by questions from disenchanted youth and students. \u201cAnyone who opposes the government or its politics are dubbed anti-nationals,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
CPI general secretary D. Raja described the phrase as \u201cnothing but an attempt to stigmatise dissent and intimidate those who question the government.\u201d<\/p>\n
CPI(M) general secretary M.A. Baby said the term was being used against government critics and protesters, including those who demonstrated at Jantar Mantar.<\/p>\n
TMC MP Mahua Moitra and Cockroach Janta Party spokesperson Saurav Das also hit back. Das questioned the logic of branding educated young people as Naxals simply for questioning the government, calling the move arrogant and an indication of its failure to address their concerns.<\/p>\n
CPI MP P. Sandosh Kumar also hit back at Modi, saying, \u201cIf we are Dimagi Naxals, he is Dimagi communal. We fight for the people. We are proud Dimagi Naxals.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
New Delhi, August 18 (KMS): India\u2019s opposition parties and leaders have strongly criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi\u2019s call to identify and isolate \u201cdimagi Naxals\u201d (those with a Maoist or Naxal mindset), saying that he has coined a new label to target dissenters, intellectuals, and political rivals in the country. According to Kashmir Media Service, Modi, …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":208276,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-208270","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-india"],"yoast_head":"\n