Congress hits back at Modi's 'dimaagi Naxal' jab
What's the story
The Congress party has hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "dimaagi Naxal" remark, calling it "It is a sure sign of his desperation." The term was used by PM Modi during his Independence Day address from the Red Fort. He had warned against intellectual Naxals who he said were entrenched in the country's system and posed a threat to society by influencing policies and creating unrest. "These intellectual Naxals have to be identified and isolated," he said.
Political backlash
Jairam Ramesh slams PM for 'dimaagi naxal' jibe
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh slammed PM Modi for using the term "dimaagi Naxal" to describe his political opponents. He said it was a rephrased version of "Urban Naxals," a term the PM used earlier.
Ramesh alleged that the government eventually accepted many issues raised by those it had branded as such, citing examples like the acceptance of a caste-based census after initially dismissing it as "Urban Naxal" thinking.
Kharge's criticism
Congress president accuses Modi government of failing India
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge also slammed PM Modi's government during the party's Independence Day celebrations in Delhi.
He accused the government of failing to deliver fundamental rights and avoiding parliamentary accountability.
Kharge also credited previous Congress-led governments with initiatives like Right to Food, Right to Education, and MGNREGA.
"From the Red Fort, the PM claims credit for everything; it is a mercy he doesn't claim that the world survives only because of him," he said.
Gandhi's absence
BJP slams Rahul Gandhi over I-Day absence
Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) criticized the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, for skipping official Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort.
BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari said Gandhi's absence was indicative of an ecosystem plagued by the "Dimagi Naxal" mindset.
Earlier, in his address, Modi said, "We have succeeded in getting rid of armed Naxals in the jungles, but the 'dimaagi Naxals' are looking for opportunities to create violence, unrest."