New Delhi, August 15, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) on Saturday backed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s reference to “dimagi Naxalism” in his Independence Day address, while Opposition leaders questioned the term and sought clarity on whom he was referring to.
Addressing the nation from the Red Fort on India’s 80th Independence Day, PM Modi said armed Naxalism had been significantly weakened but warned that a more subtle form of “dimagi Naxalism” remained a threat. He said such forces could attempt to create violence and disorder and needed to be identified and isolated.
Union Minister Chirag Paswan defended the remark, saying that while India had made progress in combating armed Naxalism, some people continued to work towards creating anarchy in society. He said such individuals may not share the vision of building a developed India and urged people to remain vigilant.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also endorsed the Prime Minister’s observation. He said armed Naxalism had been brought to an end but described “Naxalism of the mind” as a potentially more dangerous phenomenon in which anarchy was embedded in people’s thinking.
BJP leader and Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma said there were still “mental Naxals” seeking to harm the country and urged them not to obstruct India’s progress towards becoming a global power by 2047.
The Opposition, however, demanded greater clarity.
Congress leader Supriya Shrinate asked whether the Prime Minister was referring to the country’s youth and said he should specify who he meant by “dimagi Naxals”.
Congress MP Jairam Ramesh said the BJP had earlier used the term “urban Naxals” for political opponents. He recalled that Union Home Minister Amit Shah had told Parliament there was no definition of “urban Naxal”.
Ramesh alleged that the Prime Minister was now using “dimagi Naxals” from the Red Fort to describe his political opponents, adding that issues previously associated with those labelled “urban Naxals”, including the caste census, had subsequently been taken up by the government.
NCP-SP national spokesperson Naseem Siddiqui said the government must distinguish between intellectuals and terrorists. He alleged that professors and researchers had been jailed after being labelled “urban Naxals”.
CPI-M General Secretary M.A. Baby termed the Prime Minister’s remarks “mischievous and wrong”, saying he was unsure whom PM Modi was targeting. He cited the case of former Delhi University professor G.N. Saibaba, who had been imprisoned after being labelled an “urban Naxal”.
Baby also alleged that the terms “extremism” and “urban Naxal” were being used to target people who criticised the Union government and restrict democratic debate.
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