New Delhi [India], August 15 : Congress slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi following his 80th Independence Day address from the Red Fort on Saturday, dismissing his warnings against "dimagi naxals" (ideological Naxals) as hollow political rhetoric while fiercely defending its historical legacy regarding India's national song, Vande Mataram.
Reacting to PM Modi's call to identify and isolate "dimagi naxals" who threaten the country's progress, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh stated that the term carries no real substance, drawing a parallel to previous debates surrounding the phrase "urban naxal."
Ramesh pointed out that when the government previously labelled political opponents as "urban naxals," Union Home Minister Amit Shah had to clarify in Parliament that no such official legal definition exists.
"Two or three years ago, he (PM Modi) called his political opponents 'Urban Naxals'; at that time, the question arose in Parliament as to what the definition of 'Urban Naxal' was. The Home Minister replied that there is no such thing as an 'Urban Naxal,' nor is there any definition for it. Today, the Prime Minister is using the term 'Mental Naxal' (ideological Naxal) for his political opponents from the Red Fort," Jairam Ramesh said.
Ramesh argued that the central government routinely vilifies its critics before eventually adopting the very policies they advocate.
"The reality is that he eventually accepts the issues and demands raised by the very people he labels as 'Urban Naxals.' He had dismissed the idea of a caste census as 'Urban Naxal' thinking, yet a year ago, he announced a caste-based census. First, you make derogatory remarks--calling them 'Urban Naxals' or 'Mental Naxals'--but later, you accept the very demands your political opponents were making... Even after 12 years, there was nothing new in his political speech," the Congress leader said.
On India's 80th Independence Day, PM Narendra Modi warned that while armed Maoist violence is "breathing its last", an ideological Naxal mindset still exists in institutions.
Speaking from the Red Fort on August 15, he said government action since 2014 has largely ended the jungle insurgency that claimed over 3,500 security personnel. But he alleged people with a "Maoist mentality" earlier held positions in government committees and influenced policy.
PM Modi urged people and authorities to "identify and isolate" these "dimagi Naxals" who, he said, seek to push youth toward anarchy. He linked the call to the goal of Viksit Bharat by 2047, saying the focus must be on keeping youth aligned with nation-building.
Addressing PM Modi's indirect jabs regarding the National Song, the Congress leader underscored the party's historical ties to Vande Mataram, which marked a historic 150-year milestone and was rendered during the official Independence Day ceremony at the Red Fort.
Ramesh recalled the historic Congress Working Committee meeting in Calcutta, where Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore advised that the opening lines of Vande Mataram be adopted and sung at public gatherings.
"On October 28, 1937, a meeting of the Congress Working Committee regarding 'Vande Mataram' was held in Calcutta... Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore had advised that only the opening lines of 'Vande Mataram' should be sung at meetings," he said.
Reinforcing the stance, Congress leader Pawan Khera emphasised that the decision to sing the song across party events was institutionalised long ago.
"At the Congress session held in Calcutta in October 1937, all prominent leaders, including Gandhiji, had decided that 'Vande Mataram' would be sung at Congress events. It is the national song."
This year's celebrations carried special significance for the song as the country marked 150 years the national song. For the first time, the National Song was rendered as part of the Independence Day ceremony at the Red Fort.
The Prime Minister said the occasion was historic and linked the spirit of 'Vande Mataram' with India's journey towards becoming a developed nation by 2047.
PM Modi said, "For everyone present at this ceremony today, this is also a historic moment. For the first time since independence, 'Vande Mataram' is resounding at the Red Fort on August 15th."