2 weeks ago
Opposition Slams Modi Over 'Dimagi Naxal' Jibe, Women's Quota
On India's Independence Day, the Prime Minister gave a big speech from the Red Fort in Delhi.
In his speech, he called some of his critics 'dimagi Naxals,' which means 'mental Naxals.'
Naxals are a group that the government says uses violence and does not take part in normal democratic politics.
The Prime Minister said armed Naxalism was almost finished and warned young people not to be fooled by 'dimagi Naxals.'
Many opposition leaders were upset by his words.
They said it is wrong to call people names just because they disagree with the government.
They said this kind of name-calling makes people afraid to ask questions.
The leaders also talked about women's reservation, which is a law to reserve one-third of the seats in Parliament for women.
This law was passed, but it can only start after a special counting exercise called delimitation.
Opposition leaders want the law to start right away, while the Prime Minister says it must wait — both sides want more women in Parliament, but they disagree on when.
From the Red Fort, PM Modi used his 80th Independence Day address to warn youth against being misled by 'dimagi Naxals' and said armed Naxalism was 'breathing its last'.
Opposition leaders from CPI(M), CPI, Congress, TMC and AAP condemned the remark as stigmatising dissent, with CPI(M) General Secretary M A Baby calling it an 'atrocious allegation' and accusing the government of 'state terrorism'.
Modi appealed to all parties to implement 33 per cent women's reservation in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, saying the issue has been caught in politics for 40 years.
Opposition leaders demanded the quota be implemented immediately in existing seats without waiting for delimitation, with CPI MP P Sandosh Kumar citing 181 of 543 Lok Sabha seats.
The women's reservation law, the Constitution (One Hundred and Sixth Amendment) Act passed in September 2023, takes effect only after a delimitation exercise following the first census after its commencement.
- Who
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi and opposition leaders including CPI(M) General Secretary M A Baby, CPI General Secretary D Raja, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh, AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal, and TMC leaders Saket Gokhale and Kirti Azad.
- What
- Opposition parties condemned Modi's 'dimagi Naxal' remark in his Independence Day address and demanded the 33 per cent women's reservation be implemented without waiting for delimitation.
- Where
- India; the address was delivered from the Red Fort in New Delhi, with opposition reactions in New Delhi and on social media.
- When
- Saturday, in reaction to PM Modi's 80th Independence Day address from the Red Fort — his 13th consecutive address.
- Why
- Opposition leaders said the term stigmatises and intimidates those who question the government, and accused the government of deliberately delaying women's reservation by linking it to delimitation.
Opposition Parties
Government / PM Narendra Modi
'Dimagi Naxal' Label
Opposition Parties
Calling dissenters 'dimagi Naxals' stigmatises and intimidates those who question the government; CPI(M)'s M A Baby called it an 'atrocious allegation', Congress's Jairam Ramesh — noting Modi had earlier used the term 'urban Naxals' — dubbed him the 'Master Abuser in Entire Political Science', and the Congress termed the remark 'a sure sign of desperation'.
Government / PM Narendra Modi
Modi said armed Naxalism was 'breathing its last' and warned youth not to be misled by 'dimagi Naxals', alleging that people with a 'Naxal mentality' had earlier occupied positions of influence in government committees and policymaking and should be identified and isolated.
Women's Reservation and Delimitation
Opposition Parties
Implement one-third reservation for women immediately in existing seats — CPI MP P Sandosh Kumar cited 181 of 543 Lok Sabha seats — with Congress's Jairam Ramesh calling Modi's appeal a 'dishonest pitch' and the law's failure to apply in the 2024 elections 'double-faced hypocrisy'; the opposition wants it applied from upcoming state elections.
Government / PM Narendra Modi
Modi appealed to parties to implement 33 per cent reservation, saying the issue has been caught in politics for 40 years; the law provides for the quota to take effect only after a delimitation exercise, and the Centre reportedly wants it to apply from the 2029 general election pending delimitation.
Handling of Naxalism
Opposition Parties
M A Baby accused the government of 'state terrorism' in its treatment of arrested Maoists, alleging that some were shot dead in custody rather than being subjected to legal proceedings.
Government / PM Narendra Modi
Modi said armed Naxalism had destroyed the future of several youths and framed the fight against Maoist extremism as a national concern.
Key facts
- Prime Minister
- Narendra Modi
- Controversial Term
- 'Dimagi Naxal' (mental Naxal)
- Occasion
- 80th Independence Day address from the Red Fort; Modi's 13th consecutive address
- Women's Quota
- 33 per cent reservation in Lok Sabha and state assemblies
- Reservation Law
- Constitution (One Hundred and Sixth Amendment) Act, passed September 2023
- Reservation Condition
- Takes effect after delimitation following first census figures after commencement
- Opposition Demand
- 181 of 543 Lok Sabha seats for women, implemented immediately
- Congress Reaction
- Called the remark 'a sure sign of desperation'; mocked sequencing of Modi's tri-coloured pocket squares
Quotes
CPI Rajya Sabha MP P Sandosh Kumar
CPI Rajya Sabha MP and opposition voice
““First He called his opponents ‘urban naxals.’ Now He calls them ‘dimaagi naxals.’… It is a separate matter that He ends up doing whatever these so‑called ‘urban naxals’ or now ‘dimaagi naxals’ are demanding or advocating,””
telegraphindia.com
“"Prime Minister Modi finds time and opportunity to target dissenters even on a solemn national occasion like Independence Day, conveniently forgetting what the people of India are asking of him and his government."”
deccanchronicle.com











