PM asks CRPF jawans to ‘defeat’ ‘Dimaagi Naxals’ in political parties, sets a bad precedent

Should Prime Minister Narendra Modi deliver a political speech to students, at convocations or at official functions on Independence Day? Must he always talk about politics and his political rivals? Should he have spoken of his nightmare of ‘Dimaagi Naxals’ (cerebral Naxalites or extremists) while addressing CRPF jawans celebrating Diwali?

Armed Naxals had been defeated, the PM said, but the threat still remains from the cerebral Naxals who have taken over political parties and other organisations. This is not the first time the PM has spoken of threats from intellectuals, academics, scholars and activists. However, raising his pet obsession on Diwali in front of CRPF jawans set a unwholesome, if not dangerous, precedent.

On his Independence Day address in August too, the PM had referred to 'dimaagi Naxals', saying the country succeeded in removing armed Naxalism, but its ideological supporters were seeking opportunities to

promote violence. Even today, they are instigating people against the country's Constitution and democracy, he added.

"We must identify and defeat such elements and secure the country," the PM said, while celebrating Diwali with security personnel at a CRPF camp in Chhattisgarh's Bastar, continuing his tradition of spending the festival with men and women in uniform. “Armed Naxalites have disappeared from the forests, but ‘dimaagi Naxals’ have taken control of several organisations. They have infiltrated several political parties and different organisations. We must identify and defeat them and secure the country,” he said.

The PMO's official transcript contains the same line in Hindi: “हथियार वाले नक्सलियों का सफाया हुआ है, लेकिन दिमागी नक्सलियों ने अनेक संस्थाओं पर कब्ज़ा कर लिया है... कई राजनीतिक दलों में, अनेक प्रकार के संस्थानों में ये दिमागी नक्सलवादी घुस गए हैं। हमें इनकी पहचान करनी है, इनको परास्त करना है...”.

The PM is known to deliver politically provocative speeches on different occasions. At a centenary event of Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) this year, he attacked political opponents as perpetually dissatisfied "naraaz fufa" (grumbling uncle) and called out "dimaagi naxals".

At the convocation in IIT, Delhi also critics accused him of mixing the national issues with political messaging. His speeches at Civil Services Day functions too have often bordered on the political rather than administrative concerns and policy parameters. In a televised address to the nation in April 2026, the political opposition parties objected to the speech naming and criticising opposition parties while elections were underway.

The PM could have found other occasions to raise his concerns about ‘Dimaagi Naxals’ although the Government has neither clarified what it means by the term nor identified specific critics and dissenters. Even a festival like Diwali was not spared by the PM, reflected many Indians on social media as they shared a video of New York mayor Zohran Mamdani greeting people on Diwali in a video message.

The prime minister has been celebrating Diwali with troops in carefully calibrated events in the past as well; and he likes to dress in battle fatigue or army uniform on such occasions, the first and the only prime minister and politician to do so. He is not the commander-in-chief of the armed forces. The President is. However, the uniform and the address by the PM, amplified by the government, BJP and the media have often surprised and shocked observers.

On Sunday, 8 November 2026, the PM dutifully distributed sweets to the troops and clapped as women soldiers made a circle around him and danced to music.

Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said the prime minister has not spared the nation even on Diwali day his "trademark abuse". “He has once again spoken of what he calls 'dimaagi naxals'. He has used a very solemn non-political occasion, donned the uniform of the security forces, and

hurled invectives at his political rivals," Ramesh said on X. This is a brazen assault on all institutional norms but when has that ever stopped this man, he asked.

Jairam Ramesh recalled that on 28 April 2024, the PM had said that those demanding a caste census were urban naxals, and later in 2025 he announced that a caste census would be carried out as part of Census 2027. In September 2020, he had called those agitating against the three black farm laws as supporters of Naxal ideology, and later in 2021 he withdrew the laws, he recalled pointing out how inconsistent the PM has been.

"The PM is clearly distraught, disturbed and desperate. Jhola-picking-up time is fast approaching," Ramesh went on to add.