Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, Aug 16: Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Sunday took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his ‘dimagi naxal’ remark, saying, “I am proud to be a dimagi naxal.”

Chidambaram's comment came a day after Modi, in his Independence Day address from the Red Fort, warned against what he described as ‘dimagi naxals’ who had entrenched themselves within the system and continued to pose a threat to society by influencing policies.

The Prime Minister urged citizens to “identify and isolate” such individuals, alleging that people supporting Maoist ideology were looking for opportunities to promote violence and anarchy.

Responding to Modi's remarks, Chidambaram wrote on X, “I am proud to be a dimagi naxal!”

Addressing the nation on the occasion of India's 80th Independence Day, Modi said the country had succeeded in eliminating armed Naxalism from forests but cautioned that those supporting the ideology continued to seek opportunities to spread violence and disorder.

Modi alleged that people with a Maoist mindset had, for years, established themselves in the corridors of power, serving as advisers on government committees and influencing public policy.

He cautioned against underestimating the challenge and called for greater vigilance to prevent such ideological influence from gaining ground.

The Prime Minister also said decades of Naxalism and Maoist violence had destroyed the lives and aspirations of millions of young people. He claimed that more than 3,500 police and security personnel had been killed during the conflict, a toll he said was higher than the number of soldiers killed in wars.

Modi said Naxalism had once held large parts of the country and a substantial population in its grip through violence.

He said the government, after coming to power in 2014, had made ending Naxalism a priority and asserted that decades-old challenges had to be brought to an end.

“Decades-old challenges must be brought to an end,” Modi said, adding that Naxalism and Maoism had destroyed the future of millions of young people, claimed countless lives and devastated families.

The Prime Minister said Naxalite and Maoist violence was now being brought to an end, with development and the national flag replacing violence and bloodshed in areas that were once affected by insurgency.

Chidambaram's response has added a political dimension to Modi's Independence Day remarks, with the Congress leader using the Prime Minister's phrase to signal his disagreement with the characterisation of those questioning or opposing the government's policies.