Kolkata, Aug 17 (IANS) Trinamool Congress MP Saugata Roy on Monday defended former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti after she described herself as a “dimagi Naxal”, arguing that the term “Naxal (Maoist)” refers to people who want to “change the existing system” and questioning why such views should be considered objectionable in a democratic country.

Roy’s remarks came a day after Mehbooba Mufti said that she considers herself a “dimagi Naxal” because of her continued support for Article 370 of the Constitution, which had granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir.

Backing Mehbooba Mufti, the Trinamool MP told IANS that people in a democracy are entitled to hold different political and ideological views.

“Many people think that we should always be concerned. ‘Naxal’ means people who want to change the system; then what is wrong if someone has such thoughts? This is a democratic country, and people can have their own thoughts,” Roy said.

He also criticised the BJP for what he described as the introduction of another political label, recalling the party’s earlier use of the phrase “tukde-tukde gang” to target its opponents.

“The BJP used to talk about the ‘tukde-tukde gang’ earlier. Now they have introduced a new term, ‘dimagi naxal’. I do not believe in this at all. Mehbooba Mufti is a good leader, and if she has said it, then she has said the right thing,” he added.

The political controversy over the expression “dimagi Naxal” originated from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Independence Day address, during which he warned that despite significant progress in tackling armed Naxalism, a more subtle form of the ideology continued to pose a challenge to the country.

During his address, PM Modi said that India had made significant progress in weakening armed Naxalism but warned that a more subtle form of the ideology, which he termed “dimagi Naxalism”, continues to pose a challenge.

“We have succeeded in getting rid of armed Naxals in the jungles, but ‘dimagi Naxals’ (those with a Naxal mindset) are looking for opportunities to create violence, unrest… They want to drag society on the wrong path. These ‘dimagi Naxals’ have to be identified and isolated, and we must connect the youth with the mainstream,” PM Modi said.

The Prime Minister’s remarks have since triggered a sharp political response from Opposition parties, as several leaders accused the BJP of employing provocative labels to target political opponents and those who hold differing views.

–IANS

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