Why call yourself 'Dimagi Naxal'? Dinakar challenges Chidambaram

Lanka Dinakar, Chairman of the Twenty Points Programme (Viksit Bharat–Swarna Andhra Pradesh) Implementation, has questioned Congress leader and former Union Minister P. Chidambaram over his self-description as a “Dimagi Naxalite.” Dinakar posed a series of pointed questions about the scale of Naxal violence during the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, asking Chidambaram to compare that record with the present government’s efforts to eliminate Left Wing Extremism.

The political exchange began on August 15, 2026, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing the nation on the 80th Independence Day, used the term “Dimagi Naxalite” to describe those he said hinder the country’s growth and the vision of Viksit Bharat. The Prime Minister did not name any individual. Days later, Chidambaram publicly embraced the label, saying he was “proud” to be called a “dimagi Naxal.”

Reacting to Chidambaram’s statement, Dinakar said that some people have now “removed their masks” by identifying themselves with the term. He specifically asked why Chidambaram had portrayed himself as a self-declared “Dimagi Naxalite.”

Dinakar then raised three direct questions for the Congress leader: how many police personnel and innocent civilians were killed by Naxalites between 2004 and 2014, when the UPA was in power; how many times were police weapons looted by Naxal groups during that period; and how many districts were affected by Naxalism in 2013, a year in which the UPA was still in office.

“Let Mr. Chidambaram dare to discuss the current situation in comparison with that of the previous UPA Government, particularly with regard to the eradication of the impact of Naxalites in the country,” Dinakar said in a statement.

The remarks come amid a broader political debate over the term, which the Prime Minister used to describe intellectual critics of his policies. While the government has maintained that it does not target individuals, opposition leaders have interpreted the phrase as an attempt to stifle dissent. Chidambaram’s response to the Prime Minister’s speech was interpreted by many as a defiant acceptance of the label, turning the term into a badge of honour for some in the opposition.

Analysts note that the word “dimagi” (Hindi for intellectual) is often used in Indian political discourse to describe urban-based intellectuals who sympathise with Naxal ideology, a charge that opposition leaders dismiss as a rhetorical tool. The exchange highlights the sharpening political rivalry between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress ahead of upcoming elections.

Dinakar’s challenge, however, is specifically focused on data. By asking for concrete numbers from the UPA era, he aims to shift the debate from labels to outcomes. His questions touch upon a sensitive period in India’s internal security history, when Naxal violence was widespread across several states, particularly in central and eastern India.

Whether Chidambaram will respond to Dinakar’s pointed queries remains to be seen. Neither Chidambaram nor the Congress party has issued an official response to Dinakar’s statement at the time of filing this report.

This report is based on a statement issued by Lanka Dinakar and has been contextualised with reference to the Prime Minister’s Independence Day address and Chidambaram’s earlier response. Independent verification of the specific statistics Dinakar referenced is ongoing, and the numbers cited have not been independently confirmed by this publication.