Union Minister Escalates Crackdown Talk on "Dimagi Naxals" After Rahul Gandhi's Criticism
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Union Minister Kiren Rijiju said the government's next target is to eliminate "Dimagi Naxals," while Rahul Gandhi accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of branding dissenters as Naxals in an attempt to smear democratic opposition.
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju posted on X that the government's next target is to finish "Dimagi Naxals," a phrase critics say is being used to stigmatize political disagreement. He also urged Rahul Gandhi to thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi for eliminating armed Maoists, while referencing former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh's description of left-wing extremism as a major internal security threat.
Rahul Gandhi, addressing Central Reserve Police Force personnel, forcefully rejected Modi's remarks, saying the jawans did not believe the prime minister's statements and challenging him to a debate on who is "anti-national" or influenced by foreign forces. Gandhi wrote, "He called us Naxals. My challenge stands. Let him debate me on who is anti-national and who is controlled by foreign forces. Any time, any place. My guarantee: after the debate, the PM won’t have the guts to stand in front of a single jawan again."
Modi had earlier told a CRPF camp in Chhattisgarh that while armed Maoists have been eliminated, "Dimagi Naxals" have infiltrated political parties and organisations, calling for the identification and defeat of such elements. The opposition has accused the prime minister of using the term to delegitimize democratic dissent and widen the attack on critics.