Rahul Gandhi renews debate challenge to Modi after ‘Dimagi Naxal’ remarks

• Rahul Gandhi renews his challenge to debate PM Modi over allegations of being anti-national.

• He says CRPF personnel did not believe the prime minister’s remarks branding opponents “Dimagi Naxals”.

• Modi had accused ideological supporters of Maoism of infiltrating political parties and organisations.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his ‘Dimagi Naxal’ remarks, saying CRPF personnel had not believed his allegations, and renewed his challenge to debate who was anti-national and controlled by foreign forces.

In a post on X addressed to CRPF personnel, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said their expressions showed that they had not bought the prime minister’s claims.

“Dear @crpfindia, Your faces said it all: you didn't buy the PM's lies,” Gandhi wrote.

“He called us Naxals. My challenge stands. Let him debate me on who is anti-national and who is controlled by foreign forces. Any time, any place. My guarantee: after the debate, the PM won't have the guts to stand in front of a single jawan again,” he said.

Gandhi’s remarks came a day after Modi, while celebrating Diwali with security personnel at a CRPF camp in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar, said armed Maoists had been eliminated but “Dimagi Naxals” had infiltrated several political parties and organisations.

The prime minister accused these elements of instigating people against the Constitution and democracy and called for identifying and defeating them to secure the country.

The Congress alleged that Modi was “distraught, disturbed and desperate”, adding that his “jhola-picking-up time” was approaching.

Modi had also referred to ‘Dimagi Naxals’, or people with a Naxal mindset, in his Independence Day address in August. He had said that while armed Naxalism had been eliminated, its ideological supporters were looking for opportunities to promote violence.

Opposition parties have accused the prime minister of using terms such as ‘Dimagi Naxal’ to brand and delegitimise democratic dissent.

Gandhi has repeatedly challenged Modi to an open debate, claiming that it would establish that the prime minister was a “traitor” within five minutes.

BJP leaders have dismissed the challenge, accusing Gandhi of avoiding debates in Parliament.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had said that Parliament itself provided a platform for debate and urged Gandhi to show “some seriousness and responsibility” in his role as Leader of Opposition.