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Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Monday hit out at the Congress over its criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks on "dimagi naxals", asking the party to apologise to the family of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for his 2006 description of Naxalism as the country's biggest internal security challenge.

Sharing a 2006 statement by the former Prime Minister on X, Rijiju said, "'It would not be an exaggeration to say that the problem of naxalism is the single biggest internal security challenge ever faced by our country' - Dr. Manmohan Singh on 13 April 2006. Congress party must apologise & say sorry to the Family of former PM Dr. Manmohan Singh ji."

"It would not be an exaggeration to say that the problem of naxalism is the single biggest internal security challenge ever faced by our country" - Dr. Manmohan Singh on 13 April 2006. Congress party must apologise & say sorry to the Family of former PM Dr. Manmohan Singh ji. https://t.co/cBa0Hi22M1 pic.twitter.com/DLReUdfhTP — Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) August 17, 2026

Rijiju Clarifies 'Dimagi Naxals' Remark

Rijiju's remarks came a day after he defended PM Modi's reference to "dimagi naxals" during his Independence Day address from the Red Fort.

Clarifying the Prime Minister's remarks, Rijiju had said that Modi did not refer to opposition leaders as "dimagi naxals". He said the term referred to those who support Maoists and reject the Indian Constitution, those who stand with separatists and support Article 370, and those who seek to cut the "Chicken's Neck" corridor to separate the Northeast from the rest of India.

"PM @narendramodi ji didn't say opposition leaders as Dimagi Naxals. Only following are Dimagi Naxals: 1. Who support Maoists and reject Indian Constitution. 2. Who stand with separatists & support Article 370. 4. Who want to cut chicken neck to separate North-East from India," Rijiju said.

Congress Criticises PM Modi's Remarks

The controversy followed PM Modi's Independence Day address, in which he said India had succeeded in curbing armed Naxalism but warned that people with "Naxal thinking" continued to operate in different parts of the country. PMm Modi said such people had earlier influenced public life, government committees, institutions and initiatives. He called for identifying and isolating those promoting violence and bringing the country's youth together for the goal of a developed India.

Congress, however, criticised the remarks. Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh alleged that the reference to "dimagi naxals" was political rhetoric and compared it with the earlier debate over the term "Urban Naxal". Ramesh said that when the issue of "Urban Naxal" was raised in Parliament, the Union Home Minister had stated that there was no such definition. He alleged that the government had previously labelled political opponents as "Urban Naxals" before subsequently accepting some of the issues they had raised, including the demand for a caste census. (ANI)