Opposition leaders have criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for using his Diwali address to security personnel at a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) camp in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar to target what he described as “dimagi Naxals”, accusing him of turning a non-political occasion into a political speech.
During his visit to the CRPF camp in Karanpur on Sunday, November 8, Modi said that although armed Maoists had been eliminated from several areas, the threat of Naxalism had not ended. He alleged that people with a “Naxal mentality” had infiltrated political parties and various organisations.
“Even today, they are instigating people against the country’s Constitution and democracy,” he said, calling on security personnel to identify and defeat such elements.
Modi had earlier used the term “dimagi Naxals” during his Independence Day address, describing them as a threat to Indian society and calling for them to be identified and isolated.
Opposition questions Modi’s remarks
Trinamool Congress leader Saket Gokhale accused the prime minister of asking uniformed personnel to target the Opposition by labelling political rivals “dimagi Naxals”.
Gokhale linked the remarks to the use of force against protesters during youth demonstrations in Delhi in July, when security personnel used lathis, tear gas and pellet guns to disperse crowds. Several demonstrators were reportedly injured.
TMC MP Mahua Moitra also criticised Modi for wearing military fatigues during the visit. Calling him “a disgrace”, she said he should “leave the armed forces alone”.
Congress leader Pawan Khera questioned what Modi meant by “dimagi Naxals” and whether he was suggesting that such people should be “neutralised” by security forces.
“Does the PM now want the forces of the nation to wage a war against the youth of this nation?” Khera asked.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh accused Modi of using a solemn, non-political occasion to attack his political opponents.
“He has used a very solemn non-political occasion, donned the uniform of the security forces, and hurled invectives at his political rivals,” Ramesh said.
Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the Cockroach Janta Party, also criticised the remarks, saying festivals should spread love and happiness rather than hatred and division.
Modi says Naxalism threat persists
In his address, Modi said the elimination of armed Maoists was a major achievement but warned against assuming that the threat had ended.
He alleged that people sympathetic to Maoist ideology had established influence within organisations and government institutions, including policy-making bodies.
The prime minister credited his government with giving security forces greater operational freedom and dismantling the financial and logistical networks supporting Naxalites and separatists. He also criticised previous governments, alleging that they had restricted the forces’ ability to respond to Maoist attacks.
Modi said more than 230 districts across nearly 20 states had once been affected by Naxalism. He also claimed that no CRPF personnel had been killed in the line of duty during the preceding year, describing it as the first such occurrence in 47 years.
Bastar, once considered a centre of Left-Wing Extremism in Chhattisgarh, has seen intensified anti-Maoist operations, surrenders and government development initiatives in recent years.
