In New Delhi on Sunday, August 16, senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘intellectual Naxal’ remark. He said, “I am proud to be an dimagi naxal.”
Chidambaram gave this response a day after Modi’s statement. The Prime Minister had warned the country against such ‘intellectual Naxals’ who are allegedly entrenched in the system and pose a threat to society by changing policies.
Modi had appealed to citizens to identify such people and isolate them.
What Modi said about Naxalism from the Red Fort
Speaking from the ramparts of the Red Fort on the occasion of the 80th Independence Day, the Prime Minister had said that the country has succeeded in removing armed Naxalism from the forests. However, he warned that its ideological supporters are looking for opportunities to spread violence and chaos.
Modi had said, “People with Maoist thinking had established their place in the corridors of power for years. They served as advisors in government committees and they influenced government policies.”
The Prime Minister said that this challenge should not be underestimated. The country needs to be more vigilant about this.
He said that the decades-long Naxalism and Maoist violence has destroyed the lives and dreams of lakhs of youth. In this conflict, more than 3,500 policemen and security force personnel have been killed, which is much higher than the number of soldiers killed in wars.
Modi said, “Naxalism had held a very large part of India and a large population under its control at gunpoint.”
Eliminating Naxalism a priority since 2014
The Prime Minister had said that after assuming power in 2014, his government made eliminating Naxalism a priority.
He said, “Decades-old challenges must be eliminated. Naxalism and Maoism have destroyed the future of lakhs of youth. They have snatched away the sons of countless mothers, destroyed families and shattered the dreams of parents.”
Modi had said, “Today I am happy that Naxalite and Maoist violence is ending. In areas where Naxalite bullets once flew and bloodshed was common, now the tricolor of development, trust and effort is waving. These areas have been freed from Naxalism.”
