'Dimaagi Naxal' label targets Jantar Mantar protesters: CPM hits out at PM Modi

CPI(M) chief accused PM of using the "dimaagi Naxal" label to stigmatise government critics and Jantar Mantar protesters, likening it to the earlier "Urban Naxal" tag used against dissenters. He also questioned the Centre's anti-Naxal operations, alleging it amounted to "state-sponsored terrorism".Baby said the latest remark was an attempt to portray political opponents and critics as Naxalites. (PTI photo/ file)CPI(M) general secretary MA Baby has alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s use of the term “dimaagi Naxal” was aimed at stigmatising those who criticise the government and those who have taken to the streets in protest, including at Jantar Mantar.The CPI(M) leader said the latest term was reminiscent of the “Urban Naxal” label that had earlier been used against people critical of the BJP and RSS. He alleged that the branding of dissenters as Naxals had also been accompanied by attacks on those who spoke out against the ruling establishment.Baby said the latest remark was an attempt to portray political opponents and critics as Naxalites. “They always wanted to accuse people in the Opposition that they are anti-national. This is a very convenient accusation that they are Naxalites in their mind. It is an atrocious allegation,” Baby said.He alleged that the term was now being used against those who criticise the government and those who have taken to the streets in protest. “All those who criticise the government, those who came to Jantar Mantar, are termed as dimaagi Naxal,” he said, suggesting that the Jantar Mantar protests were a key reason behind the latest jibe.The CPI(M) leader’s remarks came after PM Modi, in his Independence Day address from the Red Fort, warned against “dimaagi Naxals”. PM Modi said that while the menace of armed Naxalism was nearing its end, there were people with a “dimaagi Naxal” mindset who were looking for opportunities to create violence and unrest and take the country in the wrong direction. The Prime Minister added that such people needed to be identified and isolated and that the youth needed to be brought into the mainstream.The CPI(M) leader also recalled the killings of MM Kalburgi, Govind Pansare and Gauri Lankesh, and referred to armed assaults on people critical of the BJP and RSS. He also mentioned actor and playwright Girish Karnad, who had worn an “Urban Naxal” tag at a public event.Baby then went on to sharply criticised the government's anti-Naxal operations, questioning the manner in which PM Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah claim to have eliminated Naxalism.“Modi and Amit Shah claim they eliminated Naxalites. How they did it.”They were catching young boys and girls, youth. They should have been brought to legal process but they were shot dead and recorded as encounter,” he said, describing the operations as “utterly state-sponsored terrorism”.The CPI(M) general secretary said the Left had never accepted the activities of Naxalites but had favoured engaging with those willing to surrender their arms and return to the mainstream.“Me, D Raja and Dipankar had written a letter to PM. We don’t accept their oath or what Naxalites are doing, but they were willing to give up arms. We wanted to discuss and bring them to mainstream,” Baby said.OPPOSITION HITS OUT AT PM MODI OVER I-DAY REMARKSPM Modi’s “dimaagi Naxal” remark triggered a political backlash, with Opposition parties accusing the Prime Minister of using the Independence Day platform to target his political opponents and critics.Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said PM Modi had first called his opponents “Urban Naxals” and was now referring to them as “dimaagi Naxals”.“First he called his opponents 'urban naxals'. Now he calls them 'dimaagi naxals'. It is a sure sign of his desperation,” Ramesh said, adding that the prime minister was doing what those he labelled “Urban Naxals” or “dimaagi Naxals” had been demanding or advocating.CPI general secretary D Raja also accused PM Modi of targeting dissenters on Independence Day, saying the remark was an attempt to “stigmatise dissent and intimidate those who question the government”.CPI Rajya Sabha MP P Sandosh Kumar questioned the government's position on women's reservation, saying there was no justification for holding back the quota when all parties had supported the legislation.Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav also attacked the prime minister, saying the Red Fort was not a place from where one should speak lies. He urged the Centre to implement the Women's Reservation Bill in the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.The women's quota issue also featured prominently in the Opposition's criticism of PM Modi's Independence Day speech. The prime minister had urged political parties to rise above differences to help secure 33 per cent reservation for women in legislatures.Ramesh accused the government of making a “dishonest” pitch on women's reservation, arguing that the Women's Reservation Bill was passed unanimously in September 2023 but was not implemented for the 2024 general elections.Furthermore, Cockroach Janta Party chief spokesperson Saurav Das also criticised PM Modi’s remark, saying educated young people cannot be branded Naxalis merely for questioning the government.Das called the remark arrogant and said a generation once told to remain silent had found its voice. He described the moment as the beginning of an era of peaceful protest, saying “a Jantar Mantar” was emerging in every district and urging young people to unite rather than be divided.- EndsPublished By: Shipra ParasharPublished On: Aug 16, 2026 14:08 IST