Her post on X came in direct response to Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, who had listed supporters of Article 370 among those who could be described by the term used by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
PDP president and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday (August 16, 2026) declared herself a “Dimaagi Naxal,” stating that she supports Article 370 of the Constitution.
opposition voices view the term as an attempt to stigmatize dissent While the government frames it as a warning against ideological extremism that rejects constitutional authority or supports separatism. Other leaders, including Congress’s P. Mufti’s post added a specifically Kashmir-focused dimension to the national debate. The exchange underscores how the phrase coined in the Prime Minister’s speech has quickly become a political flashpoint, with parties using it to draw lines over issues ranging from Left-wing extremism to the constitutional status of Jammu and Kashmir.
Rijiju clarified that the Prime Minister “didn’t call opposition leaders ‘Dimagi Naxals.'” Instead, he listed categories that, in his view, fit the description: those who support Maoists and reject the Indian Constitution, those who stand with separatists and support Article 370, and those who want to cut the “Chicken’s Neck” (Siliguri Corridor) to separate the North-East from India. The episode reflects the sharp polarization over the “Dimagi Naxal” label. Chidambaram, had earlier responded by saying they were “proud” to be called one.
