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Bengaluru: Actor Prakash Raj on Sunday, August 16, called out Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “dimagi Naxals” comment made during his Independence Day Speech, claiming that it was a term targeted at people who show dissent.

Raj started his video saying, “Dear friends, Sathiyon. Yesterday, on Independence Day, we witnessed two people working.”

He said that one was the “Supreme Leader,” referring to Modi, and the other was the cockroaches or “dimagi (ideological) Naxalites.”

According to Raj, Modi “finally accepted” that those who ask questions to the government and show dissent are some form of Naxalites. “After all these years of naming them urban Naxals, desh-virodhis (anti-nationals), keedas (insects), cockroaches, now he has given us a title, naamkaran kiya hai: dimagi Naxals,” the actor said.

He compared Modi’s speech to the Cockroach Janta Party volunteers, who are participating in the “School Thik Karo” initiative by visiting government schools and revealing the condition of their infrastructure.

“On the other hand, the so-called accused dimagi Naxals or cockroaches, were busy walking into village government schools and showing the plight of the toilets, of the classrooms, of places where there were no teachers and no roads, and how our children in government schools are suffering,” said Raj.

Raj suggests becoming dimagi

The multilingual actor said the public now gets to decide who to support after having seen the two spectrums of two sides working on India’s 80th Independence Day.

“My suggestion: dimagi bano, bewaqoof nahi, andhbhakt nahi. Sawal karo, gulaami nahi (Be intelligent, not a fool, not a blind follower. Ask questions; do not be subservient).”

He ended a video with his signature “just asking” move by questioning his “dear friend”, likely referring to the PM again. He asked the PM to stop using the Red Fort as a monument for naming ceremonies and to instead “focus and work on real issues the country is facing”.

He said, “Will you start with stopping the closure of government schools and focus on Swachh toilets, enough number of teachers, enough number of classrooms, and a wonderful atmosphere for our children in government schools for their future?”

Raj said that since Modi has a few years left in his tenure, he hopes that the PM will do “something” regarding the issues plaguing such schools.