Jammu, August 17 :Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti has reacted sharply to Union Minister Kiren Rijiju’s remarks on the term “dimaagi Naxal”, saying she supports Article 370 and is therefore willing to accept the label.
Responding to Rijiju’s post on X, Mehbooba said, “I support Article 370. I’m a dimaagi Naxal.”
Rijiju, who is the Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, had clarified that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had not used the term “dimaagi Naxal” specifically for opposition leaders.
In his post, Rijiju explained that the term could be used for people who support Maoists, reject the Constitution, back separatist groups or support Article 370. He also included those who seek to separate the northeastern region from the rest of the country.
Mehbooba’s statement came a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentioned “dimaagi Naxals” during his Independence Day address.
In his speech, Modi said that India had made significant progress in eliminating armed Naxalism from forest areas. However, he warned that people supporting the ideology could still pose a challenge by attempting to influence the system and encourage violence and disorder.
The Prime Minister also appealed to citizens to identify and isolate such elements.
