New Delhi, August 14, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said armed Naxalism had been significantly weakened in India, but warned that what he described as “dimagi Naxalism” continues to pose a challenge by seeking opportunities to promote violence and disorder.
Addressing the nation from the historic Red Fort on Independence Day, Modi recalled the situation in 2014 when the BJP-led government assumed office, saying Naxal violence had once “drenched the earth in blood”.
He said the government had fulfilled its commitment to free the country from Naxal violence and asserted that Maoist insurgents no longer had the strength to sustain themselves in areas that were once centres of armed conflict.
According to the Prime Minister, regions that had earlier witnessed Naxalite gunfire and bloodshed now symbolise “development, trust and effort”, with the Tricolour flying there.
However, Modi said the challenge had not completely disappeared and raised concerns over what he called an ideological form of Naxalism.
He alleged that people with a Maoist mindset had, over the years, occupied influential positions in the corridors of power, including serving as advisers to government committees, and had influenced policymaking.
While asserting that armed Naxals operating from forested areas had largely been eliminated, the Prime Minister warned that ideological Naxalism remained active and was “looking for an opportunity” to create pathways for violence and anarchy.
Modi called for such “ideological Naxals” to be identified and isolated, linking the issue to the future of India’s youth.
He stressed the need to ensure that young Indians remain connected with the mainstream process of nation-building and contribute to the broader objective of transforming India into a developed nation.
The remarks broadened the government’s narrative on Naxalism beyond armed insurgency to include concerns over what Modi described as an intellectual and ideological ecosystem capable of influencing institutions and public policy.
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