Bengaluru: Actor Prakash Raj has sharply criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “dimagi Naxals” comment in his Independence Day speech, saying it was aimed at people who question the government and express dissent.
In a video posted on August 16, Raj said that on Independence Day the public saw “two people working”: one, the “Supreme Leader” (referring to Modi), and the other, the so-called “cockroaches” or “dimagi (ideological) Naxalites”.
“After all these years of naming them urban Naxals, desh-virodhis (anti-nationals), keedas (insects), cockroaches, now he has given us a title, naamkaran kiya hai: dimagi Naxals,” Raj said, arguing that the term was a new label for critics and dissenters.
Raj contrasted Modi’s Red Fort address with the work of Cockroach Janta Party volunteers under the “School Thik Karo” initiative, who have been visiting government schools to document poor infrastructure, non-functional toilets, lack of teachers and inaccessible roads.
“On the other hand, the so-called accused dimagi Naxals or cockroaches were busy walking into village government schools and showing the plight of the toilets, of the classrooms, of places where there were no teachers and no roads, and how our children in government schools are suffering,” he said.
The multilingual actor urged people to “be intelligent, not a fool, not a blind follower”, adding: “Sawaal karo, gulaami nahi (Ask questions; do not be subservient).”
Ending with his signature “just asking” line, Raj addressed his “dear friend” — widely understood to be the Prime Minister — and asked Modi to stop using the Red Fort only for “naming ceremonies” and instead focus on real issues.
“Will you start with stopping the closure of government schools and focus on Swachh toilets, enough number of teachers, enough number of classrooms, and a wonderful atmosphere for our children in government schools for their future?” Raj asked.
He added that since Modi had a few years left in his tenure, he hoped the Prime Minister would do “something” to address the problems plaguing government schools.