Tezzbuzz Desk- After Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Independence Day speech from the Red Fort, a political controversy has started over the term 'mindless Naxal'. Opposition leaders raised questions on the Prime Minister's statement and called it a statement targeting political opponents. Meanwhile, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju has responded to the allegations of the opposition.
Sharing a post on social media platform X, Rijiju said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had not called the opposition leaders 'mindless Naxals'. He claimed that PM Modi said this in the context of those who support Maoist ideology or stand against the unity and Constitution of the country.
Rijiju reveals the list of 'mindful Naxals'
Rijiju told in his post which people the Prime Minister was calling 'mindless Naxals'. According to him, this includes those who support Maoists and do not accept the Indian Constitution. He also said that people who stood with the separatists and supported the retention of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir also fall within the scope of the Prime Minister's remarks.
Rijiju further claimed that those who support efforts to separate Northeast India from the country and talk about cutting the 'chicken neck' have also been placed in the same category.
What did PM Modi say from the Red Fort?
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort on the occasion of Independence Day. In his speech he said that India has achieved great success against Naxalism which has taken up arms. However, he warned that Naxalite ideology may still exist in different forms.
PM Modi said that there are people in the country who are influenced by 'Maoist thinking' and try to influence this ideology in different institutions and public life. Using the term 'mindful Naxal', he said that there is a need to identify and isolate such people. According to the Prime Minister, there is a need to unite the youth of the country for the goal of a developed India.
Chidambaram expressed 'proud'
After the Prime Minister's statement, senior Congress leader P Chidambaram reacted on social media. Referring to PM Modi's statement that he was a 'mindful Naxal', he said that he was proud to be a 'mindless Naxal'.
After this comment of Chidambaram, the political debate intensified. Opposition parties, including Congress, raised questions on the Prime Minister's statement and asked what is the clear definition of 'mindful Naxal' and for whom it is being used.
Congress also targeted
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh criticized the Prime Minister's statement. Terming it as political rhetoric, he said that the term 'mindful Naxal' has no clear meaning. Jairam Ramesh alleged that even before this, words like 'Urban Naxal' had been used for opposition leaders and critics of the government. He said that at that time questions were raised in the Parliament also regarding the definition of 'Urban Naxal'.
According to the Congress leader, now the Prime Minister is using words like 'mental Naxal' or 'ideological Naxal' from the Red Fort, due to which the opposition feels that the target is on political opponents.
Political debate increased on the statement
After the Prime Minister's statement and Rijiju's clarification, the political debate regarding 'mindless Naxals' has intensified. On one hand, the government says that the Prime Minister's target was on those forces who support Maoist ideology, separatism or activities against the unity of the country.
At the same time, the opposition is calling it a language targeting political opponents. At present, the rhetoric on this issue continues between the ruling party and the opposition and the term 'mindful Naxal' has become a new controversy in post-Independence Day politics.