The prime minister said regions once scarred by gunfire and bloodshed were now witnessing development and a renewed sense of trust after being freed from Naxal violence.
But for the Congress, the prime minister’s remarks have opened another front of political confrontation.
Chidambaram, one of the Congress’s senior voices and a former Union home and finance minister, chose brevity over elaboration, responding on X with the eight-word retort: “I am proud to be a dimagi naxal!”
His intervention comes as the Opposition increasingly questions the political meaning of the phrase and its possible use against those who challenge the government’s policies or worldview.
The exchange has also revived a broader ideological contest between the BJP and Congress over the boundaries of dissent, political opposition and national security. While the government presents the fight against Naxalism as a long-running battle against violence and anarchy, the Opposition has raised concerns over extending the label to ideological or political critics.
For now, Chidambaram’s terse response has ensured that Modi’s Independence Day warning does not remain confined to the Red Fort—it has spilled directly into the political arena, with the Congress turning the prime minister’s phrase back on him.
With PTI inputs
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