GUWAHATI: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday intensified the political row over the term “dimagi Naxals”, calling Congress leader P Chidambaram a “pure Naxal” and seeking an inquiry into his tenure as Union home minister.
Sarma questioned why Chidambaram allegedly did not take steps to end Naxalism during his tenure as Union home minister.
“You will remember that when Chidambaram was the Union home minister, VC Shukla and several other Congress leaders were killed in an attack (by Naxals) in Chhattisgarh. Yet, the Congress did not take any measures to eliminate Naxalism,” Sarma said at a press conference.
“Since Chidambaram himself has said that he is a “dimagi Naxal,” there should be an inquiry to ascertain if he deliberately did not take steps against Naxals when he was the Union home minister,” the Assam Chief Minister said.
Sarma said Chidambaram was not a “dimagi Naxal” but belonged to a category above it. “He is a Naxal. He will fall under the pure Naxal category."
Highlighting the BJP-led NDA’s achievements on law and order, Sarma said nobody had imagined that India would one day become “Naxal-mukt”.
“When did we think that Bodoland in our state would become peaceful one day and who thought that Independence Day and Republic Day would pass off without any bomb blasts in Assam?” Sarma asked.
He claimed that the Congress was uncomfortable with the prevailing peaceful atmosphere in the country under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
“The Congress wants anarchy to prevail in the country. It wants to return to power in 2029 by capitalising on the scope of anarchy. It has begun practicing stooping as low as possible to grab power,” the Chief Minister said.
Modi had used the term “dimagi Naxals” during his Independence Day speech, drawing criticism from Chidambaram, who posted on X, “I am proud to be a dimagi Naxal.”
Chidambaram said “dimagi Naxals” was a new version of the BJP’s earlier remarks against Opposition members. Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, however, said Modi’s reference was to those who support Maoists and separatists and reject the Indian Constitution.
