Important for youth to steer clear of 'Dimaagi Naxalites': Jitan Ram Manjhi

Patna (Bihar) [India], August 17 (ANI): Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi on Saturday urged the youth of country to remain vigilant against 'Dimaagi Naxalites', referring to remarks made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Independence Day address.
Manjhi said that while armed Naxalism was being dealt with, another form of extremism could pose a threat to the country's unity and development.
"It is particularly important for our youth to steer clear of 'Dimaagi Naxalites.' While the armed Naxalites are being suppressed, there are others, benefiting from foreign networks, who are intent on destroying India. In such a situation, Gen Z and Gen Alpha, as well as every Indian citizen, must remain vigilant," he said.
In his remarks at the Red Fort, PM Modi said the government has succeeded in eliminating armed Naxals from the forests and liberating the country from that menace.
"However, while the armed Naxals are gone, the mental Naxals remain, and these mental Naxals are on the lookout for an opportunity. They are looking for ways of violence and anarchy. They are resorting to various tactics to drag society onto the wrong path. We must identify these mental Naxals, isolate them, and steer the nation's youth toward the mainstream effort of transforming India into a developed nation," he said.
Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju on Sunday hit out at opposition parties over their criticism of PM Modi's "Maoist mentality" remarks, asserting that the Prime Minister did not refer to opposition leaders as people with a Naxal mindset.
In a post on social media platform X, Kiren Rijiju clarified that "Dimagi Naxals" refers only to those who support Maoists and reject the Indian Constitution, those who stand with separatists and support Article 370, and those who advocate cutting off the Chicken's Neck corridor to separate the North-East from India.
"PM @narendramodi ji didn't say opposition leaders as Dimagi Naxals. Only following are Dimagi Naxals: 1. Who support Maoists and reject Indian Constitution. 2. Who stand with separatists & support Article 370. 4. Who want to cut chicken neck to separate North-East from India," said Rijiju. (ANI)