'Dimaagi Naxal' Remark Sparks Fresh BJP-Congress Clash Over I-Day Speech

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's reference to 'dimaagi Naxals' — people he said needed to be 'identified and isolated' — in his Independence Day speech triggered a sharp war of words with the Congress on Saturday.

The BJP used the phrase to target Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, both of whom skipped the official Red Fort ceremony for the second consecutive year, with BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari calling it reflective of a 'dimaagi Naxal ecosystem'. Congress dismissed the remark as a 'sure sign of desperation'.

Separately, the BJP accused Congress leader Sonia Gandhi of objecting to the full rendition of Vande Mataram at the party's own Independence Day event, after a video went viral. The Congress denied any such objection, saying Gandhi was only asking that a chair be arranged for Kharge given his age and difficulty standing for long periods.

Maharashtra Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal separately criticised Modi's speech as lacking substance, asking the government to account for promises made in previous years' addresses.