‘Dimagi Naxals’ inciting people against constitution: PM Modi as Maoists eliminated

Targeting political opponents, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday (Nov 8, 2026) said armed Maoists had been eliminated but “dimagi Naxals” (ideological supporters) had infiltrated several political parties and organizations and incited people against the constitution and democracy.

“We have to identify and defeat such elements and secure the country,” Mr Modi said as he celebrated Deepavali with security personnel at a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) camp in Bastar, Chhattisgarh, continuing his tradition of spending the festival with men and women in uniform. On March 31, 2026, the government declared the country free from Naxalism.

“Amid all these successes, we have to remember one more thing. The Naxalites have been eliminated but the menace is not over. The armed Naxalites have disappeared from the forests but the ‘dimagi Naxals’ have taken control of several organizations,” he said.

“Even today, they are inciting people against the country’s constitution and democracy. They have infiltrated several political parties and various organizations. We must identify and defeat them and secure the country,” he added. The government, he said, took a decision that “dealt very big blows to the funding of Naxals and secessionists”.

On Independence Day in August 2026, Mr. Modi also referred to the “imagination of Naxals”, saying that the country had succeeded in eliminating armed Naxalism, but its ideological supporters were looking for opportunities to promote violence.

Recalling the fight against Naxalism in Bastar, Mr. Modi said it was not easy as at one point more than 230 districts in nearly 20 states were affected by left-wing extremism. After sunset, life would come to a standstill, thousands of villages and millions of people were affected and there were about 2,000 Naxalite attacks a year, he said.

“This country has been soaked in the blood of our brave personnel, but not a single sigh was heard from any of the ‘naamdaars’ (powerful people) living in the palaces. Not a single tear fell from their eyes. Such attacks were taking place somewhere or the other almost every day,” he said, targeting the previous governments. Between 2004 and 2013, more security personnel were killed every year than Naxalites were eliminated, he said.

“Unfortunately, the then governments treated Naxalism as an incurable disease and left it unaddressed. No country can function with such an attitude towards its enemies… The lack of political will the country faced was resolved in 2014 when you gave this Pradhan Sevak an opportunity to serve mother India,” he said.

The morale of the security forces started changing after 2014, Mr. Modi said, adding that for the first time in 47 years, not a single CRPF member lost his life on duty in the last year. “It’s a victory for the right politics and strong political will of the country. It’s a victory for your bravery, courage and restraint,” he said.

Diwali is sweeter with those who protect us! #Bastar #NaxalFreeIndia https://t.co/7Ywie7uTt4

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 8, 2026

The prime minister said the government has taken tough decisions to strengthen national security, including measures that are not widely known.

“These decisions and efforts dealt a major blow to the financial networks of Naxalites and secessionists. The fake currency nexus was destroyed. This not only broke their financial backbone but also choked their entire supply lines. As a result arms supply was stopped and Naxalite recruitment was curtailed,” he said.

Mr. Modi alleged that previous governments had tied the hands of security forces during ground operations and denied them the freedom to effectively retaliate against Maoist attacks. “We gave the security forces the freedom to take all the necessary decisions. We also worked to stop the support left-wing extremism was getting from certain people in the government and the system,” he said.

The government’s aim, he said, was to ensure that no mother lost her child, no family was pushed into devastation, no child picked up a gun and no young person’s future was destroyed. “Without publicity or showmanship, we worked sensitively and broke the backbone of Maoist terrorists. We transformed the lives of people in Naxal-affected areas through a spirit of service that led those suffering from Naxalism to stand firm with the government and security forces,” he said.

In the last 12 years, the country has not only won the battle against Naxalism and separatism, but also achieved a major victory in its fight against poverty, Mr. Modi said, referring to a World Bank report that India has lifted 50 million people out of extreme poverty. “What decades of ‘garibi hatao’ slogans failed to achieve, the country has achieved in just 12 years,” he said.

He said India is capable of meeting its resolutions, citing the abrogation of Article 370, construction of household toilets and expansion of vaccinations. “When we talk about eradicating poverty, building a drug-free India, creating a developed India and getting India independent, the country will also achieve these goals,” he added.

Published – November 8, 2026 10:55 AM IST