A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi said from the ramparts of the Red Fort that “mindful Naxalism” still remained a challenge before the country, senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram said he was proud to be called a “mindful Naxal”.
Several BJP leaders, including MPs and party spokespersons, reacted sharply to Chidambaram's statements and accused him of becoming a 'shield' for Naxalites and their supporters. Speaking to IANS, BJP spokesperson RP Singh accused P. Chidambaram of being soft towards Naxalites.
“He is calling himself a ‘brainy Naxal’ because I think he wants to give cover to people who are ‘brainy Naxals’ and ‘urban Naxals’,” he said.
At the same time, Syed Shahnawaz Hussain also said similar thing that the behavior of Congress leaders is becoming worse than that of Naxalites. Naxalites can be eliminated from the forests, but P. Chidambaram is calling himself a 'mental Naxal'. They are conspiring against the country and creating misconceptions about the country. Congress leaders leave no stone unturned in insulting the country.
“The Prime Minister did not directly call Congressmen ‘mindless Naxals’, but if Congress leaders themselves are accepting that label, then it is their own problem,” he said.
BJP Rajya Sabha member Dinesh Sharma asked, “Why is the opposition not worried about the Prime Minister's warning on the violence and mentality related to Naxalism?”
“The opposition is fussing over the word ‘Naxal’ but never talks about the harm caused by such a mentality,” he told IANS.