Jairam Ramesh questions PM’s ‘urban naxal’ remark, seeks clarification on govt stand

Key Highlights

• He further recalled that on April 29, 2024, Prime Minister Modi had accused those demanding a caste census and those raising concerns over economic inequality of having an “urban naxal mindset.” “Will the PM clarify or does he believe that anybody opposed to him is an urban naxal?” Ramesh asked.
• The Congress leader’s remarks came amid renewed political debate over the Prime Minister’s comments warning against what he termed ideological threats emanating from “urban naxals,” a phrase often used in political discourse to describe alleged sympathisers of left-wing extremism operating in cities.
• The government, however, has in the past maintained a formal distinction between armed left-wing extremism—commonly referred to as Naxalism or Maoism—and political dissent.
• In March 2020, responding to a question in the Rajya Sabha, the Ministry of Home Affairs had stated that it does not officially use the term “urban naxals,” even as it acknowledged the presence of Maoist networks attempting to gain support in urban areas.
• The Congress has repeatedly accused the BJP-led government of using loaded terminology to delegitimise dissent and social justice demands, particularly calls for a caste census and debates on inequality.