Assam CM Himanta Sarma takes ‘pure naxal’ jibe at Chidambaram's 'proud to be dimagi naxal' remark

Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has called Congress leader P Chidambaram a ‘pure Naxal’ after the former home minister’s jibe at PM Narendra Modi’s 'dimagi Naxal' remark during his Independence Day speech.

Modi on Saturday had said that some ‘dimagi Naxals’ need to be identified and ‘isolated’. His remarks triggered an uproar in the Opposition. There were several reactions to the remark, but one that made headlines was Congress leader P Chidambaram’s, when he said he was ‘proud to be a dimagi Naxal’.

Also Read | 'PM Modi didn't say…': Kiren Rijiju shares 'dimagi naxals' list after Opposition's 'proud to be' jibe

'Why did Chidambaram not stop naxalism as home minister': Sarma

Reacting to this, Himanta on Monday said Chidambaram was not just a 'dimagi Naxal' but 'the one above it', adding that he was actually a ‘pure Naxal’. Sarma claimed that despite being the home minister at a time when Congress leaders were killed in a Naxal attack, Chidambaram did not do enough to stop Naxalism from spreading in Chhattisgarh. The Assam CM said it should be probed whether Chidambaram deliberately refrained from taking steps to curb Naxalism.

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“When Chidambaram was the home minister of the country, at that time, you may remember, several senior Congress leaders, including VC Shukla, were killed in a bomb attack in Chhattisgarh. Yet Congress did not take any steps to eliminate Naxalism. So, I appeal that when Chidambaram himself said, ‘I am a dimagi Naxal’, there should also be an inquiry into whether Chidambaram deliberately refrained from taking steps against Naxalism when he was the home minister,” Sarma said while speaking to reporters on Monday, according to a PTI video.

“I feel Chidambaram is not just a ‘dimagi Naxal’; he is a complete Naxal who wants to bring anarchy to the country,” Sarma added.

Sarma said the situation had changed significantly under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi and home minister Amit Shah, claiming that an atmosphere of peace had prevailed across the country. He said the Congress was “uncomfortable” with this change and alleged that the party wanted anarchy to prevail in the country so that it could use the situation to return to power in 2029.

Rijiju explains what PM meant with ‘dimagi Naxals’

In a post on X, Rijiju shared a list of people he said PM Modi was referring to in his Independence Day speech from the ramparts of the Red Fort on Saturday.

Also Read | Decoding PM Modi's Red Fort speech: Why this one was different

“PM @narendramodi ji didn't say opposition leaders as Dimagi Naxals. Only following are Dimagi Naxals: 1. Who support Maoists and reject Indian Constitution. 2. Who stand with separatists & support Article 370. 4. Who want to cut chicken neck to separate North-East from India,” Rijiju wrote.