Narendra Modi Warns of 'Dimagi Naxals' Infiltrating Indian Institutions

Prime Minister Narendra Modi warned security personnel during Diwali celebrations in Bastar that intellectual Naxalites, or 'Dimagi Naxals,' have infiltrated political parties and organizations to incite citizens against India's Constitution and democracy. Modi stated that while armed Naxalites have been eliminated from the forests, these ideological actors continue to pose a national security threat. He further claimed his government has granted security forces greater freedom to retaliate against threats than previous administrations.

The Indian National Congress condemned the remarks as cheap politics. MP Jairam Ramesh called the rhetoric a brazen assault on institutional norms and accused Modi of using a non-political holiday to target rivals. Ramesh noted a pattern of the Prime Minister branding dissenters as Naxals, citing previous references to urban Naxals during the 2020 farmers' protests and caste census demands.

MP Pawan Khera questioned if the Prime Minister was inciting security forces to wage war against the nation's youth. Khera alleged that Modi previously used similar terminology on August 15 to target young protesters who had demonstrated against Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.