P Chidambaram is not just a 'dimagi Naxal' he is a 'pure Naxal': Himanta Biswa Sarma

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on August 17 escalated the political war of words over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'dimagi Naxal' remark, calling senior Congress leader and former Union Home Minister P Chidambaram a "pure Naxal".

Addressing a press conference on August 17, Sarma said Chidambaram was not merely a "dimagi Naxal" and questioned whether his tenure as Union Home Minister should be examined in connection with the government's efforts to combat Left-Wing Extremism.

"P Chidambaram is not just a 'dimagi Naxal'; he is a 'pure Naxal'," Sarma said.

The Assam Chief Minister also said that since Chidambaram had described himself as a "dimagi Naxal", an inquiry should examine whether he had deliberately failed to take adequate action against Naxalism while serving as the country's Home Minister.

The remarks came days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his Independence Day address from the Red Fort on August 15, said security forces had succeeded in eliminating armed Naxals from forests but warned that what he described as "dimagi Naxals" continued to exist.

Modi alleged that people with a Maoist mindset had previously occupied positions of influence in government committees and policy-making institutions and urged citizens to identify and isolate what he termed an ideological threat.

Chidambaram responded to Modi's remark on social media on August 16, saying, "I am proud to be a dimagi naxal!"

Sarma also accused the Congress of being uncomfortable with what he described as the peaceful atmosphere prevailing in the country under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

"Congress is uncomfortable with the peaceful atmosphere in the country under the leadership of PM Modi and Amit Shah ji. Congress wants anarchy in the country, taking help of which they want to come to power in 2029," Sarma said.